Bear sightings that forced class cancellations in Bridger have renewed attention across Montana on the responsibilities that come with living in bear country.
In Red Lodge, residents are getting hands-on training to stay safe and better prepared when bears come too close.
Watch Red Lodge bear education story here:
The Yellowstone Wildlife Sanctuary in Red Lodge houses bears in captivity, but staff there are increasingly focused on a growing concern: bears getting into the city.
Education around garbage management, food storage, and general safety has become a priority.
Two of the sanctuary's bears, Bo and Bluebeary, are just weeks out of hibernation.
"They have to restart and once their systems get going again, they're very hungry," said B.R. Walker, Yellowstone Wildlife Sanctuary executive director.
Related: 'Sightings are daily': Montana wildlife officials offer safety tips after Yellowstone bear attack
Walker said bears in the wild will look for food wherever they can find it, with trash cans ranking among the top attractants.
"They become habituated to it," Walker said. "So what we're working to do is to explain as people we have a responsibility to keep items that are easy to smell and eat and attract a bear away."
Walker also emphasizes that bear spray can keep you from getting attacked, so there is special training at the sanctuary.
"You think, Okay, I'm going to pull this pin and shoot the bear or shoot at the bear," Walker said. "There's an art to it. You've got to practice because it's a little difficult to pull the pin out. So the bear spray is really a good deterrent. It's important to have in your home, on the trail, wherever you are."
The group BearSmart Beartooth has placed stickers on garbage cans throughout Red Lodge, reminding residents to secure lids, avoid overfilling cans, and keep them locked to prevent bears from accessing food.
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks is on standby for any bear sightings in the area.
"If it's a severe human safety issue, then we may end up trapping a bear," said Daniel McHugh, FWP bear specialist. "If it's something more minor that we can deal with by just removing an attractant, then we do that. And if there's no food involved, a lot of times the problem takes care of itself."
McHugh said keeping bears away from trash cans is critical not just for human safety, but for the bears themselves — reducing the likelihood they will need to be trapped or euthanized.
"Ninety-nine percent of bear conflicts just have to do with anthropogenic foods, so human food sources," McHugh said. "So finding a way to keep those secure."
And it's important to keep bears away from ranches.
"If we find a dead calf, we remove it," said Corinna Baumbauer, a Bridger rancher and a worker at the sanctuary.
Baumbauer said her family is careful not to leave anything edible that could attract bears.
"And you just have to be really careful in bear country," Baumbauer said. "You have to keep every source of food up I don't feed the chickens out," she said.
Both black bears and grizzly bears have been spotted in the Red Lodge area.
"So far it's trending to be a little bit worse in this part of Montana for bear conflicts, but we'll see how the year ends up," McHugh said.
It's Bear Education Month at the sanctuary, with something scheduled every weekend in May.
But Saturday, May 23, is special with People Awareness Day.
The sanctuary will have demonstrations on bear spray as well as how to store food and how to dispose of your garbage.
And a demonstration will show how bears attack a campsite to find food.
There will be tips on staying safe while you're camping.
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