AhaBulbStuff Everyone Should Know
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In bear country, which of these must be stored like food?

Anything with a scent, like soap and toiletries.

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  1. Only meat and fish
  2. Only open snacks
  3. Soap and toiletries ✔

Why: Bears follow their nose. Yosemite counts anything with a scent, including cosmetics, toiletries, soap and trash, as food that must be locked up.

Huh, didn't know that: Bears that keep getting human food often lose their fear of people and end up being killed.

The dad joke
Why did the bear eat the toothpaste? It wanted minty fresh breath.
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References

Answer: Soap and toiletries. Bears follow their nose. Yosemite counts anything with a scent, including cosmetics, toiletries, soap and trash, as food that must be locked up.

  1. Bears and Food Storage, Yosemite (National Park Service) www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/bears.htm
    "Food" includes any item with a scent, regardless of packaging.
    Checked 2026-10-08.

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