Yosemite Bears and Human Interaction

In Yosemite National Park, bears were historically fed with trash for entertainment and tourist attraction. This practice continued until the 1970s, leading to bears learning to forage from human sources. Bears are social learners, acquiring foraging habits from their mothers. This has resulted in generations of bears relying on human food, a behavior passed down over a century.

What was the purpose of leaving trash out for bears in Yosemite National Park in the early 1900s?

• To create a natural habitat

• To clean the park

• To attract more tourists

• To provide food for other animals

Why did rangers continue to leave food out for bears after the feeding shows ended?

• To reduce waste in the park

• To attract bears for tourist photos

• To help bears survive

• To study bear behavior

How do bears in Yosemite learn human food-based foraging behaviors?

• By following other animals

• By reading signs in the park

• Through social learning from their mothers

• By trial and error

What is a key factor in the transmission of foraging behaviors among bears?

• Genetic inheritance

• Social learning

• Environmental changes

• Seasonal food availability

What happens if a bear is not taught to forage in trash cans?

• They become aggressive

• They rely solely on natural food

• They might figure it out themselves

• They never learn to forage

What has been the impact of human food on bear behavior in Yosemite?

• Bears have become less social

• Bears have stopped foraging naturally

• Bears have migrated to other areas

• Bears have become reliant on human food

What is a possible reason for the continued reliance of bears on human food?

• Intentional feeding by humans

• Accidental exposure

• Bears' inability to hunt

• Lack of natural food sources