Bear Awareness Day at Yellowstone Nature Sanctuary This Saturday
Come learn about bears and how to live and recreate safely in bear country (Special demonstration at 11:00 AM)
Yellowstone Nature Sanctuary press release
Among the fall visitors in Red Lodge, Montana, are American black bears (and an occasional Grizzly). Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks (MT FWP) works hard to create awareness for bear safety and how to respond to bear activity in the area. On Saturday, September 14, 2024, Yellowstone Wildlife Sanctuary (YWS) invites the public to join in their Fall Bear Awareness activities at the Sanctuary.
Two American black bears, Bo and Bluebeary, are town favorites who were deemed non-releasable back to the wild and found permanent homes at Beartooth Nature Center (now Yellowstone Wildlife Sanctuary). When there is space at a sanctuary, MT FWP places food-habituated bears (like those at YWS) there for public safety. If there is no place for them, they are euthanized in the area. YWS uses its bears to educate the public about bear behavior and how to stay safe.
“Seeing is believing! It changes how you react to bears in the wild when you get to see, up close and personally, how smart and strong the bears are. Bear Awareness is one of our most important programs,” said BR Walker, YWS Executive Director.
On the Sanctuary’s Bear Awareness Day, Bo and Bluebeary demonstrate typical bear behavior as they raid a picnic that has been staged within their enclosure. They love the event because bears do love picnics.
Visitors to YWS will learn about bear habits and ways to limit risks during the hyperphagia bears experience in the fall. Hyperphagia is the term for the foraging that the bears undertake to fatten up for a long winter’s nap. They truly binge-eat before hibernating. During that hibernation, they sleep and do not eat, living on the pounds they have added during the fall. And, of course, they wake up hungry each spring!
This event is held twice a year at Yellowstone Wildlife Sanctuary in Red Lodge. At our event, you can practice your bear-spray skills and learn bear safety from interactive displays. You can talk with USDA Forest Service regional bear specialist, Catherine Wood, about recent incidents around Red Lodge and how to deter bears from your property. There will be crafts and games to make learning fun for the whole family!
YWS will be open for Bear Awareness Day from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM. For a special treat, time your visit to be at our bear enclosure at 11:00 AM. We will have a campsite set up and will allow our resident black bears, Bo and Bluebeary, to “have at it.” You may be surprised just how capable they are of wrecking a campsite, complete with a tent, picnic table, coolers, and food. (They have a fun time, too.) This is a good refresher for experienced campers and an eye-opener for beginners.
Bear Awareness Day aims to reinforce the basics of bear safety in a safe and fun environment. Whether you are experienced in wildlife safety or want to learn the basics, this event will inform you about better coexistence alongside the bears that live here, too. Admission to Bear Awareness Day is included with your admission to YWS.
About the Yellowstone Wildlife Sanctuary
The Yellowstone Wildlife Sanctuary is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with the mission of providing lifelong sanctuary to non-releasable greater Yellowstone ecosystem wildlife while sharing a message of conservation and education. The Sanctuary has been providing safe, comfortable homes and long, fulfilling lives to animals whose only other option was euthanasia.
Find out more at www.YellowstoneWildlifeSanctuary.org and schedule a tour.