Grizzlies Employed in Consumer Testing by The Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center

West Yellowstone’s Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center hosts a cutting edge program dedicated to reducing the conflicts between grizzlies and humans. With the increasing bear population and the swelling number of visitors to Yellowstone Country, it is not surprising that a record 24 grizzly bears were euthanized in 2015. Those of us who live in the area have adapted to the bears foraging for food. Removing tempting food sources minimizes their visits and the resulting damage.

I had the opportunity to spend some time last week with Randy Gravatt, the facility manager of the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center.  The center houses grizzly bears, wolves and birds of prey that would have had to be euthanized either because of injuries or in the case of the bears and wolves; they had become acclimated to humans.

The center has become the premier testing facility for bear-resistant garbage containers and coolers. The tests are very straightforward. Take the container to be tested, put some fish or other smelly, tasty vittles in it, place it in the bear enclosure and release a four hundred pound bear. If the bear cannot open the container within one hour nor make any hole larger than 1.5 inches in diameter, the container passes.  I had the opportunity to witness an actual test. I watched in amazement as the griz jumped up and down on the small cooler like a trampoline, tried to pry the lid off with its massive claws and batted it around like a hockey puck. Eventually it gave up and wandered away looking for an easier meal. This year the center tested 55 manufactures’ products and 60% passed. The initial year that the center began running tests only 10% passed. In September, Randy accepted the North American Conservation Award in Salt Lake City on behalf of the center for their work on bear safe containers.

The facility is an accredited member of the Aquarium/Zoo Association, signifying that the care that the animals receive is top-notch. Animals are not fed by employees but the food is buried around the enclosure and the bears are released to hunt for it. Live trout are stocked in the enclosure’s pond. Their food consists of as much big game road kill as fish and game can locate, as well as fruits and vegetables donated by West Yellowstone’s two grocery stores, local restaurants, Costco in Bozeman and our own Robin’s Roost. The center also accepts scraps (ribs, legs, etc.) from big game harvested by local hunters.

Randy was ecstatic as he pointed out the new construction projects underway. A large river otter/cutthroat trout habitat is slated for completion in the spring of 2018 which will allow for both above and below waterline viewing. The construction of a large black bear enclosure has also begun with an estimated opening date of 2020.

Take the opportunity to enjoy this wonderful facility. It is a gem that the area can be proud of and deserves our support.