Now You Now: Problem Bears Given An Important Job

One reality of living in Wyoming is that anytime you are out exploring the mountains, you have to be concerned about our local bears.

Proper food storage and precautions should be taken because every now and then, we encounter problem bears who are especially good at finding food.

Often, problem bears are unfortunately put down but that is not always the case.  In West Yellowstone, Montana at the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center (GWDC), problem bears from throughout the country are given a special job instead of being put down.

And that job: breaking into containers to test if they are bear-resistant. 

Seems like a pretty sweet gig if you’re a bear.

Each spring the GWDC fills up these canisters with food and lets the bears have at it.  The containers that do not get broken into, earn a certificate from the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee.

What might be a fun job for the bears, is also a very important one.  Without these bears, it would be hard to determine which containers are actually bear-proof.  This information is especially important for backpackers and outdoor enthusiasts who depend on these products to keep their food safe in the backcountry.

These bear-proof products have to be very tough because our local bears are very strong.

Recently in Yellowstone, onlookers got to see the true ferocity of grizzly bears when one took down an injured elk in the Yellowstone River.  For more on that incident, check out the story below.

WATCH: This Yellowstone Grizzly Takes Down an Elk in Epic Wyoming Fashion