You’ve likely seen the news - a bear in the Broadmoor area had to be euthanized recently due to exposure to humans. With spring in full bloom, we’re seeing our usual group of black bears come back to the Broadmoor area. Now is a good time to refresh on how to live peacefully next to bears and avoid activities that encourage bears to make contact with you and your family.
Being bear aware helps reduce the chances that bears will explore your trash, enter your home, or get comfortable around your family. Black bears are naturally skeptical of people and while curious, will stay away from your home and run from people. But when bears are fed, or have access to an easy food source, they will often overcome their fear to eat.
A bear that comes back to the same place to eat is a dangerous bear. If your trash is left out or you attempt to feed bears, the bears will become desensitized to humans. This puts your family and property in immediate risk, as a desensitized bear may attempt to enter your home or may not be able to be scared away. At this point, Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) generally must euthanize the bear to keep the neighborhood safe.
It doesn’t have to be this way. With a few simple changes, bears and people can coexist peacefully, and we can all enjoy seeing our favorite mama bear and cubs exploring our neighborhood for years to come. Now is a great time to refresh on tips to stay bear aware and avoid conflicts with our native black bears.
In general:
Do not feed bears (or any wildlife). Bears have plenty of food in the Front Range, including berries, plants, and insects. In fact, our current plague of Miller Moths is actually a primary food source for black bears! When you feed a bear, it puts you and the bears at risk. They lose natural fear of humans, their diet becomes unnatural and unhealthy, and they may lose natural instinct to forage other food. Bears will also then make contact with other people to find food, creating a dangerous situation for everyone.
Secure your trash. Bears will take a full and open trash can as an invitation to feast. Securing your trash is an easy way to prevent bear contact and stay safe. Trash cans should only be put out the morning of trash pickup, and returned to your home as soon as collection is over. Never leave a full trash can out overnight. Likewise, trash should be kept in a locked room like a garage, or stored in bear safe cans.
Don’t approach a bear. While it may make for a great picture, you should keep your distance when interacting with our native bears. Most bears are cautious and want nothing more than to get away from you. However, you don’t know if the bear you’re seeing is no longer afraid of humans and may attack. Keep yourself, your family, and your pets safe by staying away from wild bears (and maybe invest in a good zoom lens).
Call CPW and alert BIS if a bear has entered your home or is aggressive. Once a bear actually enters your home, is aggressive, or threatens your family, it’s time to call for help. First, contact Colorado Parks and Wildlife, the agency responsible for bear safety in our region. Depending on the event, CPW may be required to make contact with and euthanize the bear. Next, contact BIS and alert the officer on duty to the situation. BIS can alert other neighbors about the risk as well as monitor the situation.
Be S.M.A.R.T. if a bear is aggressive. If you are in immediate danger due to an aggressive bear, practice S.M.A.R.T. tips to keep yourself safe: Stop - do not run from a bear Make yourself look big - raise your arms or pull up your jacket to make yourself seem bigger to the bear Announce - loudly yell phrases like “No Bear” or “Leave me alone” to scare the bear Retreat - back away slowly to distance yourself from the bear Tell - report the bear encounter to local authorities and warn your family
By following these tips and staying bear aware, we can enjoy our local bears in a safe and peaceful way for years to come!
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