Yellowstone Fire Grows

You might want to reconsider feeding the bears

(NEWSER) - Remember those admonishments not to feed the bears? Well, the grizzlies at Yellowstone are hungry this year, reports the AP, and cranky as a result—which doesn't bode so well for human visitors. Two people have already died in 2010 after encountering starving grizzlies. "Pack your bear spray: there's going to be run-ins," advises one scientist. The problem is the decimation of the bears' favorite food: As winter approaches, they feast on nuts from whitebark pinecones to pack on the pounds for hibernation. More»

(AP) - Yellowstone National Park officials are crediting relatively low gas prices and the park's affordability after a record number of people visited in July. America's first national park hosted more than 900,500 people last month, up more than 11% from July 2008 and 6% from the previous monthly record set in July 1995. More»

Park rangers say sow was just protecting its cubs

(AP) - Word spread quickly through Yellowstone National Park about a fatal grizzly bear mauling—the park's first in 25 years—but few visitors at the height of tourist season seemed inclined to change their vacations because of the news. Thousands of people streamed into the park yesterday, a day after 57-year-old Californian Brian Matayoshi was attacked and killed by a female bear on a backcountry trail. Officials said the sow was only defending its two six-month-old cubs, had not threatened humans before, and would be left to wander the wilderness. More»

Bear in Yellowstone attack has not been located

(NEWSER) - The grizzly bear who fatally mauled a hiker yesterday is still roaming Yellowstone National Park, though officials have closed campgrounds and trails near the scene of the attack. The 57-year-old victim and his wife actually encountered the bear twice during their hike, a park spokesperson says, but the first time they simply continued on. The next time, however, the grizzly charged as the victim yelled for his wife to run. More»

Underground volcanic material spans larger area than previously believed

(NEWSER) - The volcanic plume that powers Yellowstone’s geysers and hot springs may be bigger than we thought, and it could someday erupt—not for the first time. The “hotspot” unleashed three major blasts long ago, covering a huge portion of the continent with ash, the BBC reports. Researchers made their discoveries by studying changes in the electrical conductivity of the area’s molten rocks and hot water, marking a shift from a 2009 study that examined seismic waves. Click through for more on the Yellowstone findings . More»