Spring has sprung.
A Yellowstone National Park biologist on a research flight has officially made the park’s first grizzly bear sighting in 2023.
In a post made by the National Park, they stated that male grizzly bears typically come out of hibernation in March, while the female grizzly bears are known to more commonly come out of hibernation in April and May.
“Yellowstone National Park wildlife biologist on a radio telemetry flight observed the first grizzly bear of 2023 to emerge from hibernation. The adult bear, estimated at 300-350 pounds, was seen near the remains of a bison carcass in Pelican Valley, in the central-eastern part of the park.”
The Park also put out a statement to their visitors, stating to make sure they maintain 100 yards of distance from the grizzly bears, as well as:
“Spring visitors skiing, snowshoeing, or hiking in Yellowstone National Park are reminded to carry bear spray and be especially alert for bears near carcasses and areas with early spring green-up.”
Regardless, it is a telltale sign of spring being right around the corner, a feeling that we usually allow to be dictated by a groundhog in Pennsylvania.
Have you ever stopped to think about how weird of a tradition that is? I’m all for honoring the past and passing down heirlooms, but the whole Groundhogs Day is a little weird for me.
The hats, the scrolls, the fact that we are trusting a groundhog to determine weather patterns rather than depending on advanced meteorology technology. The best thing to come out of the whole thing is the hit Bill Murray movie Groundhog Day (1993).
I think it makes sense for the first grizzly bear sighting at Yellowstone National Park of the year to mean something too. Maybe if the bear comes out, it means that whatever Punxsutawney Phil decided is redacted and the bear now marks the first sign of spring.
You wouldn’t be able to bring the bear up on stage of course, but maybe a group of people could make the announcement from a helicopter? Or even just from a safe, 100 yard buffer zone like the park suggests?
Plus, it seems like everyone is making a big deal about a bear sighting in March when we all witnessed a HUGE $23.1 million dollar opening weekend for a bear making its big screen debut back at the end of February.
