It’s that time of year—the time when grizzly bears are beginning to come out of their “winter sleep.” After months of torpor (a state of reduced energy usage), grizzlies in the greater Yellowstone region will start emerging any day now. In fact, at least one already has, according to Trent Sizemore’s trail cam.
“The first grizzly bear of the year passed by my trail camera last night near West Yellowstone,” Sizemore wrote in his Facebook post sharing the trail-cam footage. Sizemore is a wildlife photographer and guide in West Yellowstone, Montana.
After emerging from their dens, grizzly bears are hungry, so they start looking for food. Thankfully, there is plenty to find as the snow starts to melt.
“Receding snow reveals vegetation rich in nutrients,” NPS says. “Winter kill – deer, elk, moose or anything else that may fancy a bear’s taste buds, are easy pickings. It’s an important time of the year for a bear as it begins the process of nourishing itself, continually gorging on food throughout the year in preparation for hibernation in the fall.”
See what might be “the first grizzly bear of the year” (at least in this region) here: