Frequent visits by grizzly bears prompted managers of Denali National Park to temporarily close the popular Teklanika campground on the park road from Monday, Aug. 30.
Park officials said on Friday, Aug. 27 that several grizzly bears have been in the Teklanika area for the past month, including a sub-adult that has been seen in and around the Teklanika campground, displaying behavior that warrants wildlife management action, including numerous close encounters with park visitors.
None of these bears were involved in the recent bear attack on a hiker 30 miles west of the Teklanika area.
It was initially planned to close the campground for a week while a wildlife team worked to capture the sub-adult grizzly. A culvert trap is planned to capture and to attach a radio collar to the bear. The bear will then be released on site with negative stimuli such as cracker shells and bean bag rounds fired from a shotgun, barking dogs and yelling park staff. The aim is to create a negative association for the bear with this site, known as a “hard release.” For the safety of campers, park staff and the bear, the campground will remain closed for now.
The plan is to reassess the situation on Friday, Sept. 3. Depending on the success of the operation, Teklanika campground may reopen as early as Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 6.
