ESSEX — Bears are top of mind for crews cleaning up the train derailment near Essex.
A BNSF freight train went off the tracked bear U.S. Highway 2 on Sunday morning and wildlife officials are worried animals will be attracted to the area.
BNSF is working with Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP) on the cleanup effort to prevent bears from congregating near the site.
FWP has a bear specialist on-site to ensure the cleanup is sufficient and that bears will not be attracted to the area and cause conflict.
No bears have been spotted in the area because crews are working around the clock with loud heavy machinery and lights. The goal is to mitigate the attractant as much as possible as bears prepare for winter.
“Right now, they're going through what we call hyperphagia, where they are just trying to consume as much as possible. So, they're extra active right now, they're extra hungry, so we would want to reduce attractants at this site as best we can," explained FWP spokesman Billon Tabish. "Now, we're not going to pick up every piece of grain, obviously, and that won't lead to a problem in the long term, but we are going to do the best we can, working with BNSF to make sure this site is safe, and then it's not going to be bringing bears in unnaturally."
There is no timeline for when the cleanup will be complete. An investigation into what caused the derailment is continuing.
