MISSOULA — The old copper mine on Mount Sentinel has a new resident that should absolutely not be disturbed. A black bear is denning up there for the winter.
To keep everybody safe, the University of Montana and Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) officials are asking people to avoid the area around the mine shaft.
“They do not want to be disturbed. We don't wanna see what could happen if we disturb them. We want to keep our distance, just as if we were having an encounter on a trail when the bear is out and about,” said FWP education program manager Vivaca Crowser. “It’s really, really important for our safety and also for the bear’s.”
The University of Montana closed the trail that passes near the mine.
“You can still hike up to the M. You can still get to the top of Sentinel just following other routes, but that trail that goes past the M up to the top is what is closed,” Crowser said.
Officials ask for hikers to respect the closure, for their own sake and for the bear’s. Disturbing bears is very dangerous for all involved, even when they are close to town.
“It’s not very uncommon to have bears use places to den around the fringes of our communities. It happens and they'll pick unique spots sometimes and most of the time we're not aware. When we are aware of these locations, the best thing to do is just to give them space and let them be there,” Crowser said.
