A group of bears is scouring the land around homes on the eastern border of Grand Teton National Park, prompting officials to warn residents to clean up and stow bear attractants such as garbage containers and pet food.

Park spokeswoman Jackie Skaggs said the group of bears startled homeowners near Ditch Creek on Tuesday night and wildlife managers found a number of tracks near a bird feeder and a compost bin. Officials aren’t sure whether the bears obtained food from either source.

Skaggs said the group of bears is likely a female with cubs and could even be a grizzly bear dubbed No. 399 and her three cubs. That family has become a popular attraction in the park since they began spending time near roadsides around Oxbow Bend and Jackson Lake Lodge two summers ago.

If it is, one of the most well-known bear families in the region could be in danger. If bears get accustomed to human food, sometimes the only option is killing the animals to protect human safety, officials say.

“Three ninety-nine and her cubs have moved considerably since they’ve come out of hibernation,” Skaggs said. “It’s not out of the realm of possibility that they’ve come south now to locations near Ditch Creek and even as far as Kelly.”

“But we don’t want to focus on just her,” Skaggs said. “Other bears are just as vulnerable. It’s an ecosystemwide phenomenon that Jackson Hole residents need to buy into.”

Teton County commissioners approved a bear ordinance April 1 that requires bear-proof containers and places limits on bird feeders in areas of Jackson Hole with high bear activity. Those areas include Buffalo Valley, Kelly, Alta the north face of Snow King, the Snake River corridor and the front of the Teton Range from Teton Village to south of Wilson.

Wyoming Game and Fish Department wildlife managers responded to more than 200 bear conflicts in 2007, more than during the past five years combined.

Skaggs said this spring could prove especially difficult for bears leaving their dens because a snowy, late winter has left several feet of snow in places on the valley floor. A lack of winter-killed animals could also send bears looking for human food, she said.

“People need to realize these times are different and these bears aren’t finding food sources because of the snow that remains,” Skaggs said.

She said grizzly bears have also begun to expand their range farther south.
“[People] need to get their bird feeders cleaned up, their composting bins cleaned up and secured, and their garbage cans shouldn’t be left out,” Skaggs said. “An unsecured garbage can overnight is a target for bears to find. You should only put your garbage can out the morning of collection.”