YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK — In light of the approaching summer season and the recently opened North and West entrances to the park, Yellowstone National Park (YNP) posted a how-to video on proper bear spray usage.

“All of Yellowstone is bear country!” the Instagram post reads. “Protect yourself and the bears you come to Yellowstone to see by carrying bear spray and learning how to use it. Bear spray is a non-lethal deterrent designed to stop a bear’s aggressive behavior.”

Using bear spray can also reduce the number of bears killed by people in self-defense.

The National Park Service (NPS) also reminds all visitors to the park to never approach or feed wildlife, to dispose of waste properly and to stay with their belongings at all times.

More YNP safety tips are available on the NPS website here.

Hannah is a Buckrail Staff Reporter and freelance web developer and designer who has called Jackson home since 2015. When she’s not outside, you can probably find her eating a good meal, playing cribbage, or at one of the local yoga studios. She’s interested in what makes this community tick, both from the individual and collective perspective.