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KAMAS — Utah wildlife officials say they have located and killed a bear that kept eating trash from campsites and dumpsters, prompting a closure of a campground in the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest.
State wildlife biologists tracked down the black bear, a 2 1/2-year-old male, on Monday. Since the bear had continued to go after trash at Soapstone Campground and other nearby sites over the past few weeks, they determined that the bear was "habituated to getting food from areas with people," and the decision was made to euthanize the animal to avoid future encounters with humans, according to Utah Division of Wildlife Resources spokesman Mark Hadley.
Hadley added that the division conducted a necropsy afterward, where they found that its stomach was "full of trash and food from the campsites."
"Having to euthanize an animal is really hard and is not a decision we make lightly," he told KSL. "As a reminder, it is crucial for campers to keep their campsites clean to avoid attracting a bear, which can create a dangerous situation for both the bear and people who visit the area."
The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources first received a report on July 23 that a black bear had gotten into trash at a few campsites and dumpsters in the Soapstone Campground area a few days earlier. Biologists responded to the site — about 15 miles southeast of Kamas — and set up trail cameras and a pair of barrel traps as they tried to locate the bear.
U.S. Forest Service rangers also closed the campground down as a precaution at that time. While the bear wasn't immediately caught, biologists found evidence that the bear continued to visit dumpsters in the days after the equipment was set up.
The bear even picked dumpster trash over the bait in the barrel traps on July 25, leading the Forest Service to empty the trash in hopes that the bear could be caught and relocated. Then, last weekend, a bear found trash campers had left out at another camping area about a mile east of Soapstone Campground.
Biologists determined it was likely the same bear. It was located two days later, and the decision was then made to euthanize it. The Forest Service still listed Soapstone Campground as closed on Friday.
The series of events came after a similar circumstance in American Fork Canyon last month. Biologists killed a 5-year-old black bear that had gotten into food and trash at Granite Flats, Timpooneke, Salamander Flat and Altamount campgrounds in the area, especially after it showed signs it had "become habituated to seeking food in campgrounds."
Biologists also killed a bear in Big Cottonwood Canyon last month, but that was after the animal reportedly attacked a runner on a trail in the canyon. But Hadley says the two trash-related incidents are an important reminder as to why people should take steps to avoid a bear encounter while out in the wild.
- Bear-proof food and supplies: Store food, snacks and scented items (such as deodorant and toothpaste) in a locked trailer or the trunk of a car, not on tables or in a tent.
- Keep cooking areas clean: Thoroughly clean utensils and anything else that was used to prepare or eat the food. Store all oil or grease in a container to take home.
- Keep campsites clean: Don't leave food scraps and other trash scattered around any campsite or cabin area. Put them in trash bags to take home. Wipe down picnic tables and keep the area free of food and other debris.
