Two bears killed by drivers in Yosemite. Park officials urge visitors to slow down

National Park Service officials are urging drivers to slow down after two bears were killed by vehicles in Yosemite National Park within the last three weeks.

Four bears total were struck by drivers in the park during that span of time. Two were confirmed dead while the others were believed to be seriously injured.

The two surviving bears were hit by drivers going faster than the 25 mph speed limit, officials said on the National Parks Service’s social media pages. Officials urge guests to maintain the speed limit in order to protect park wildlife.

Park officials have previously reported over 400 bears have been hit by cars in Yosemite going back to 1995. New wildlife protection zones were established for motorists to slow down and help protect wildlife.

Yosemite National Park is currently open to guests, but only through reservations due to coronavirus concerns.

NPS officials say if visitors do hit an animal while in Yosemite and need immediate ranger response, they can report it to the park’s emergency communication center at 209-379-1992.

Visitors can also leave a message on the Save-A-Bear hotline at 209-372-0322 if they believe the animal is uninjured. Visitors may also use the Save-A-Bear hotline number to report non-urgent bear observations.

This story was originally published July 31, 2020 at 7:22 PM.