Klamath Heritage: Feeding Bears at Crater Lake

Feeding black bears was a popular activity at Crater Lake National Park – and numerous other parks around the country – in the early 1900s. Our Photo of the Week for May 19, 2019, is an undated image showing a man feeding four bears at Crater Lake. The photo appears to have been taken in the 1920s.

At one time park staff encouraged feeding bears and other wildlife in order to promote the popularity of national parks. Newspapers reported in 1912 that Crater Lake Superintendent William Arant was placing bear feeding stations close to the park lodge in hopes of entertaining guests.

Concerns over the feeding of bears gradually increased, as wildlife experts pointed out that bears accustomed to begging for food might not be able to fend for themselves once the tourist season ended. There were also concerns that tame bears migrating out of the park in the fall would be easy targets for bear hunters.

Interior Secretary Harold Ickes signed an order in December 1937 prohibiting the feeding, touching or teasing of bears in national parks. Three years later, the following notice appeared in the Klamath News newspaper of May 14, 1941:
“The ranger force of Crater lake wishes to call the attention of the public to this regulation. Nature will take care of the bears. The public must take care of itself.”

Here’s a link to an article about a wildlife biologist who drew attention to the problem of feeding wildlife:
http://www.pbs.org/nationalparks/people/nps/wright/

Information provided from the Klamath County Museum.