European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - September 20, 1967, Darmstadt, Hesse                              What s cuddly fun Loving and dangerous by Bob Leeright a staff writer the beggar beside the Road i Yellowstone National Park May have a Blue ribbon in one ear a pin ribbon in the other and a bleach spot on his Rump. He May look cuddly adorable an fun Loving. But he in t. He s a wild animal capable of chewing off an Arm or taking a swipe at a face with his Long Sharp Laws. But thousands of tourists each Yea ignore warnings and feed and tease the bears that line the Park s Highway seeking handouts. And each year about 50 to 100 tourists wind up with Bear claw scratches or Bear Teeth Marks on their faces and  two girls were killed by Griz Zly bears in Glacier National Parkin Montana this summer a Story that was printed in hundreds of . News papers Yellowstone rangers said the tourists still Aren t heeding their con Stant warning to stay away from the 400 to 450 Black bears which roam the Park. Most of the Yellowstone damage incidents occur at the campgrounds where bears scrounge for food left by  food is left uncovered the bears May go right through convertible tops car windows or tents to reach it. Park rangers said most of the per Sonal injuries occur along the Park s highways where bears beg for food and lock traffic on the narrow two Lane roads. Tourists Are Given written warn Ings about the bears when they enter the Park and it is a Federal crime to feed the animals. You can rarely drive through yellow Stone when traffic in t backed up while motorists feed the bears cookies crack ers or Popsicle while another member of the family snaps a  warnings that the bears Are wild some tourists try to get pictures of their youngsters sitting on a Bear. Park rangers said they can t verify the truth of the Story but there is a Rumor among Park employees that on tourist even spread Honey Over h i s Small son s face so he could get a photograph of a Bear Licking it off. What generally happens is that daddy gives Junior a Cracker to feed the Bear while he takes a picture. Junior holds out the food and the Bear am Bles toward him. Junior gets frightened and instinctively pulls his Arm Back. The Bear thinks the food is being Takeaway so it makes a lunge for the Cracker and Junior s Arm. Wednesday september 20, 1967 a recent Survey by the Colorado cooperative wildlife research unit at Colorado state University shows that the Black Bear s spend from 14 to 210minutes a Day parked along the High ways begging for food. Most of the beg Ging is done by mama with a cub or two at her Side. The study showed that the male bears beg very Little. Maybe you be wondered about the Blu and Pink ribbons and the bleach spot. Park rangers receiving reports that Abear has clawed or bitten a tourist or raided a compound go to the scene to investigate. If they Nab the culprit they Brand it with a bleach spot and move it to another location in the Park. Tran quil izing darts shot into the Bear to immobilize it permit the bleach Job. If a Bear with a bleach spot gets int trouble again it s killed. _ the ribbons in the ear designate that the Bear is being studied by the Colo Rado cooperative wildlife research  color of the ribbon in the right ear indicates the Bear s age and the rib Bon in the left ear indicates the general area of the Park in which it was first observed so its migration habits can be studied. There s not much association betwee Yellowstone s 175 to 225 grizzlies and Black bears. The grizzlies have stakeout a few Camp grounds which they periodically raid but generally stay inthe Back country. The Black bears most of which Are either Brown or Cin Ammon in color despite their name spend most of the summer around the highways and campgrounds. But when the first flakes of Snow fallin Early september and the tourists head for Home they disperse into the upper reaches of the Park. William Barmore wildlife Biolo Gist for the . Park service said there is no apparent truth to Rumor that the bears summer diet of crack ers cookies and bread from the Rule breaking tourists is harmful. Barmore explained that bears like human eat a variety of food and that their natural diet in the fall builds up their weight to withstand the rigorous  s bears Are Down to one major source of food in the summer begging from tourists along the Road Side. Bear proof garbage cans placed atthe campgrounds in recent years have largely shut off this source of Supply. The new garbage cans Are similar to mail boxes. After the garbage has been Putin it shuts up so the Bear can t get his Paw inside. The Clown antics of Yellowstone Park s Bear population annually draws huge crowds of tourists who often forget that these hairy actors Are wild animals. The stars and stripes Page if