Brutus naps after one of several attempts to reach treats inside a Yeti cooler; advertised to be “bear-proof.”Courtesy Montana Grizzly Encounter
At the end of the day Saturday, it was Yeti cooler-1, Brutus-0.
And the avOcados (misspelled here yesterday, by the way) didn’t escape.
Brutus, recall, is a 900-pound grizzly bear making an educational appearance this week at the Pacific Northwest Sportsmen’s Show in the Portland Expo Center.
He’s not there to throw coins or popcorn at or to do funny tricks for treats, but rather loves to travel and is used by his handlers from Montana Grizzly Encounter to teach humans about bears and how to live safely with them in their habitats.
Brutus also has been trained to not open coolers, so had a careful eye on the handlers as he played with a “bear-proof” Yeti cooler Saturday. It was purchased by show managers to test the company’s claim and was cracked open slightly so Brutus could smell the avocados inside.
They were kept there by a pair of brass locks.
Brutus spent much of the day dozing (which he does routinely), but most of the rest trying to get to the avocados. The cooler spent time in the pool with him, was tossed and turned and had its rubber padded feet torn off.
But at day’s end, it was largely intact and Brutus went off to bed.
Day two?
At this writing, it’s not clear whether he’ll be given another chance.
As before…stay tuned.
— Bill Monroe
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