2021/2022
Collection 17

Just the Bear Facts

1960; Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA

My grandmother Maureen McGovern was one of four children. Every summer she and her family went on vacations, traveling from St. Louis to destinations all over the country. Their vacations were fun, mostly because they were able to spend so much time together. One of their most memorable vacations was a trip to Yellowstone National Park in the summer of 1960.

As they waited in the line of cars to get into the park, bears lumbered in the nearby woods. A medium-sized brown bear unexpectedly approached the car on Great-Grandma Alice’s side, slamming both paws on her window. She screamed as she leaped in fear across the seat. The bear had caused no harm and had wandered away, and Great-Grandpa James reassured the family that bears are not threatening unless you feed them.

When the family got to their campsite, Great-Grandpa James hoisted the food up into the trees and stored some of it in the car as instructed. After each meal the tablecloth was cleaned, and all scraps of food were put away or thrown into the trash to make sure that bears weren’t going to be attracted to the campsite.

A few days into the trip, just after lunch, Great-Grandma Alice asked Maureen to throw away the trash. Maureen walked across the gravel road to the trash dumpster with a bear-proof latch. Maureen placed the bag on the ground, bent over, and opened the lid with both hands. Then she picked the bag up and stood up straight. And there he was — a huge hungry brown bear, standing eye to eye with her, eighteen inches from her face. Maureen was sure the bear was going to eat her. She stood frozen, trying to figure out what to do. She couldn’t yell for help because she was so scared.

Luckily a crowd of campers noticed the bear and fell silent. On Maureen’s right side was her dad. He calmly said, “Take my hand.” But Maureen couldn’t quite reach his hand, nor could she move her feet. She was petrified.

Then on her left side was Great-Grandma Alice, who said, “Put the bag down, Maureen. The bear doesn’t want you. It wants the trash.” Maureen didn’t question those words, because she had complete trust in her mom. Maureen cautiously leaned forward towards the bear and dropped the bag into the trash. The bear’s tongue unraveled from his open mouth and dropped all the way down into the trash to eat. Maureen’s dad picked her up, and the family slowly backed away towards their campsite. They watched the bear finish off the trash and wander off into the woods.

After the bear encounter Maureen felt safe and very happy to be with her family. She no longer had to take the trash to the dumpster!

This harrowing tale proves what Grandma told me: “Family is your greatest resource.” Especially when there is a bear at your campsite.

Malachy Murphy; Missouri, USA

This copyrighted story may be copied and/or printed for limited classroom or personal use. To reprint this story in an article about The Grannie Annie, please contact The Grannie Annie Family Story Celebration for permission.

Return to "Collection 17" stories page