The US Bureau of Land Management will reopen the fossil-rich Natural Trap Cave in north-central Wyoming for paleontologists to access.

In the 1970s, the Bureau installed a metal grate to keep people and animals away from the dangerous cave.

The 85-foot deep cave is strewn with fossils of long extinct animals such as mammoths, short-faced bears, American lions and American cheetahs. Scientists believe these animals fell into the cave after blundering into the cave's 15-foot wide opening.

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They said this might be their best look yet at the variety of animals that roamed the foothills of the Bighorn Mountains during the Earth's last glacial period around 25,000 years ago.

Julie Meachen, a Des Moines University paleontologist, will lead the international team of researchers getting ready for the excavation.

Meachen said she's terrified because she doesn't have any spelunking or rappeling experience. The only way out of the cave is an eight-story, single-rope climb all the way back up.

The remote site is quite well preserved because of the difficulty getting into and out of it.

Brent Breithaupt, a paleontologist from the US Bureau of Land Management, said the cave is a tad creepy. He said it was an imposing hole in the ground, but one that actually has very important scientific value.

Alan Cooper from the Australian Center for Ancient DNA will try to retrieve mitochondrial DNA fragments of animals inside the cave.

He said that the animal fragments would probably be in perfect condition because of the cold weather inside the cave.

A grant coming from the National Science Foundation will fund the excavation for the next two years.