Story Published: Jul 28, 2010 at 4:28 PM MDT
Story Updated: Jul 28, 2010 at 4:36 PM MDT
Despite construction, many tourists are still determined to make it to Bear World.
"So determined to get here, it was not a problem. We're from California and we centered our whole trip to get to Bear World," said Kristina Danze, from California.
Bear World has 40 bears inside the park, and one of the funnest things to do is to feed them.
"Friends had told us that if we came here we could feed the bears," said Danze.
It's that close proximity that is helping Bear World weather the construction which has caused miles of detours for travelers trying to get on and off of highway 20.
"Just getting to feed the bears I would definitely recommend coming out and doing the curator tour to get to feed the bears, get to see them come right up to the truck and stuff is very cool," said Amy Ruff, a Californian resident who has a summer home in Driggs.
And let's face it, bears are fascinating. So fascinating that Stacey Pew has made a career out of working with bears.
"Cubs are very playful, they're like energizer bunnies 20 minutes before they eat, and 20 minutes after they eat you can not slow them down. They love to play in the water," said Stacey Pew, with Bear World.
And here's a little known fact about cubs.
"Bears make this really cool throaty noise, it's called 'nooking.' And it's like a kitty-cat's purr," said Pew.
"(Cubs) will take your arm and completely cover you in bear drool," said an employee while she was getting "nooked."
And it's a noise they'd most likely stop making in the wild as they grow up, but some of the older bears still have the habit here in captivity. The oldest bear in the park right now is 22, but Bear World has had bears live as long as 37.
"When you have bears in captivity you can spoil and pamper them and give them the things they can't find in the wild. That way they can get a good long life," said Pew.
So if you've been hunting for a bear sighting in Yellowstone with no luck, you might consider putting up with a little bit of construction to make it to Bear World this summer.
Bear World opened in 1998 so this is their 12th season.