New exhibit teaches bear safety

A nonprofit center in West Yellowstone has a new exhibit that teaches people how to keep bears out of communities. The exhibit is called “Living with Bears on East Street,” and it is located inside the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center.

Visitors have the chance to learn about the many things that attract bears including, garbage, gardens, compost, bird feeders, animal feed sacks and chicken coops. The curator of education said people can also use electric fencing to help keep bears away.

“Bears do not want to investigate an area if they are going to get an electric shock. Bears typically investigate things with their noses. If you can imagine getting a big electric shock on your nose that is pretty painful, even though that is not permanently damaging and it teaches that bear that garden, chicken coop, those beehives — those are negative experiences and I don’t want to come back to that area,” said A.J. Chlebnik, curator of education .

The center is open daily from 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.