Baby bear breaks into Montana lodge, naps
A 45 minute drive from Yellowstone National Park, Buck’s T-4 Lodge has been welcoming visitors to Big Sky, Mont., for more than 50 years. But last weekend, it hosted a different kind of guest than the usual nature lover: a young black bear that climbed through a bathroom window and took a nap in the sink.
The bear appeared to have no reservation at the lodge and was removed immediately. Buck’s posted a video to the lodge’s Facebook page on Monday, showing the efforts of the Gallatin County Sheriff ’s Office and Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks officials to remove the yearling bear out of the lobby bathroom and into safety.
It’s not uncommon to spot wildlife like moose, elk and deer near the lodge, but bear sightings are rarer for the property. Even more out of the ordinary is having one come indoors: “We have never had one inside the building,” says Buck’s co-owner David O’Connor.
The video starts in the lobby of Buck’s. It’s nighttime, and officials are working on getting into the women’s bathroom, where the bear is sleeping.
Earlier that evening, two employees had heard a banging noise come from the corner of the lobby. Through the window, they could see the small bear peeking inside. Not long afterward, the employees heard noise from the nearby lobby bathroom.
“He had worked his way down that wall and found a window that was cracked, and opened it up,” O’Connor explains.
The bear was stuck. It wasn’t possible to climb out of the window anymore, and to get out of the bathroom through the lobby, the bear would have had to use the handle to pull the door open.
The hotel staff called in the help of county and Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks officials. The team tranquilized the bear, then carried it outside to safety. Eventually the uninjured bear was taken to a more remote part of the state to be released.
“It was the best-case scenario,” O’Connor says. “Best for the bear, best for the guests.”