Something Big Has Been Here

There is a healthy population of black bears in the Big South Fork. For the most part they don't cause problems in the park - we make sure all campers know to lock up their food when they're not around, and to use the bear-proof trash cans. Because the dorm is also park property, we also have the same bear-proof trash cans.

Those were tested recently.

One of the maintenance people came in the visitor center the other day and was talking with us, and mentioned to me that there was a bear print on the back of the trash can at the dorm - they noticed it when they came to collect the trash. When I got home I made sure to check it out.

Something in there must have smelled pretty good! Look at those scratches in the lichen. And of course...

THAT.

Now I have a picture I can show visitors and say "THIS is why we have those annoying hard-to-open trash cans! Because they are hard to open!