BRIDGER— A visit from a black bear family on Bridger Elementary School property Wednesday forced the cancellation of school and created quite the buzz around town.
A mother bear and two yearling cubs climbed up a tree on the school’s property Wednesday morning.
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A Wednesday morning Facebook post from Bridger Public Schools said, “After consulting with FWP, we are going to cancel school for today, May 20th. This will remove activity from the area to allow the bear specialist to do their job and safely get the bears where they need to be.”
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP) and the Bridger Police Department put tape around the perimeter of the scene and set out bear traps that morning, urging locals to stay away from the area.
“Right now… we just want to keep the bears as calm as possible,” said Bridger Police Chief Jordan Webb. “We just ask that people stay out of the area.”
“That could end, you know, with us capturing the bears in the traps, or it could end with the bears just wandering off on their own,” said Chrissy Webb, with FWP.
According to FWP, bear encounters in town are becoming more common this year.
“We all know it was kind of a dry, odd winter and we've also seen a bit of a dry spring so that's kind of impacting the natural foods that bears should be eating,” said Webb. “They're gonna turn to other things, because they're so food driven and if they can find, you know, trash or dog food or any of that sort of thing.”
The response at the school Wednesday morning created interest among Bridger locals.
“I was so surprised. I just saw my best friend go by, trying to see the bear, and… I just was like, ‘Oh my gosh. I've never seen a bear before,’” said fourth-grade student Lyla Cooper, who missed school that day.
“When I circled around, I was like, ‘Whoa, there it is.’ So, I pulled up over here,” said Cooper’s aunt, April Atcosta, who also snuck a peek of the bears.
Charlie Hardin, who lives next door to the school, said he woke up to police outside.
“They were putting tape up around the perimeter and we're like, ‘Wow, what's going on at the school?’” said Hardin.
“We've got plenty of distance here and we're just going to keep our heads up today and go about our business, you know, and leave them alone,” he added.
Police and FWP will continue to monitor the area and check the bear traps.
