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Bear Checks in to Montana Hotel

Guests staying at a Montana hotel received the shock of their lives when they found a big, hairy intruder in the women’s bathroom — a black bear. “The bear had…

CHENGDU, CHINA – JULY 15: (CHINA OUT) A moon bear rescued as part of Animal Asia Foundation’s bear program on July 15,2019 in Chengdu, Sichuan province, China. Founded by Jill Robinson in 1998, The Animals Asia Foundation center has rescued more than 200 bears. With 58 bears still living today, it is illegal to hunt Asiatic black bears or Moon bears in the wild in China, however the animals are still trapped or killed for their gall bladders and other body parts via artificial farming. (Photo by Wang He/Getty Images)

Photo by Wang He/Getty Images

Guests staying at a Montana hotel received the shock of their lives when they found a big, hairy intruder in the women's bathroom -- a black bear.

"The bear had found a window with enough of an opening to get into the ladies' room by the lobby," says David O'Connor, co-owner of Buck's T-4 Lodge in Big Sky. "The bear wasn't able to get himself back out as the window was too high, but he was real comfortable there. He just hung out on the counter where it was cool, and literally went to sleep." It was still sawing logs, sprawled out across the restroom's marble countertop, when guests made the startling discovery.

Fortunately, the cute-but-potentially dangerous animal stayed asleep long enough for animal welfare officials to arrive. They administered a tranquilizer and carried the bear back to its natural habitat. Because the hotel isn't far from Yellowstone National Park, O'Connor says encounters with wild animals aren't uncommon in the area -- although "there is an element of safety to consider" when an encounter involves a bear.

Al BeckAuthor