Yosemite National Park staff has designated "Wildlife Protection Zones" in the park with hopes of reducing vehicle-wildlife collisions/NPS

Hoping to reduce the number of wildlife killed in collisions with vehicles, Yosemite National Park staff has designated several "Wildlife Protection Zones" on busy stretches of roads in the park.

Visitors driving in the park this weekend will see signs advising motorists that they are in a “Wildlife Protection Zone” and that speed limits will be strictly enforced. Multiple zones have been designated in Yosemite Valley and along sections of Big Oak Flat Road, El Portal Road, Wawona Road and Tioga Road. These zones will remain in effect until further notice.  

As of August 28, 2019, 11 bears have been hit by vehicles this year. More than 400 bears have been hit by vehicles in Yosemite National Park since 1995. It’s not just bears that face the danger of being hit by a vehicle on roads within Yosemite National Park. Owls, Pacific fishers, butterflies, rare amphibians like red-legged frogs and salamanders; and mammals like deer, foxes, and mountain lions are also often hit and killed on Yosemite's roads.

“One of the best ways to help protect wildlife in Yosemite National Park is to slow down and follow the posted speed limits within the park,” said Yosemite Superintendent Michael Reynolds. “These new Wildlife Protection Zones have been designated to help reduce the number of animals injured or killed in the park by automobiles. We thank park visitors for helping us protect Yosemite’s bears and other wildlife.”

Park visitors can help protect wildlife while driving in and around Yosemite by staying alert, especially while driving during dawn and dusk when animals are more active. Scan roadsides for wildlife in front of your car and obey posted speed limit signs, including areas with reduced speeds. These small actions can help make a big difference and help prevent wildlife-automobile collisions.