GARFIELD COUNTY, Colo. — Deputies in Garfield County are reminding residents to be bear-aware after a young ursine found its way into a vehicle as it hunted for food recently.
Though it was not immediately clear when the incident occurred, Garfield County deputies shared a photo of the damage left behind by the young bear — the latest in a string of bear conflicts Denver7 has reported on over the past several days.
“As bears become more active and continue searching for easy food sources, a few simple precautions can make a big difference,” deputies said.
Among the suggestions from Garfield County deputies:
- Lock your vehicle doors and close the windows. Bears are surprisingly good at opening unlocked doors—but not so good at getting back out.
- Never leave food, snacks, coolers, pet food or anything with a strong scent inside your vehicle. Even wrappers and empty containers can attract a curious bear.
- Secure trash and other food sources around your home.
“When bears learn that vehicles, homes and neighborhoods mean food, it can put both people and bears at risk,” deputies wrote in a social media post Monday. “Let’s protect our bears, our homes and our vehicles. Lock it up. Put it away. Don’t give bears a reason to stay.”
Over the weekend, Denver7 reported on the increasing number of bear conflicts this summer. Watch that story in the video below:
Colorado Parks and Wildlife said this year is on track to break the state record for bear reports.
CPW data shows there have been more than 6,000 bear sightings so far this year — nearly double last year's numbers.
CPW District Wildlife Manager Demetria Wright told Denver7 this year's drought and wildfires have decimated the animals' food supply.
"There's just no natural food availability right now," Wright said. "So that's increasing the sightings and conflicts we're having with bears, pushing bears down to lower elevations to search for food."
In response, CPW workers and volunteers are attending neighborhood events to connect directly with communities in areas where sightings have been frequent.
Wildlife officials remind the community that preventing conflicts requires a collective effort. CPW recommends the following BearWise tips to keep bears wild:
- Never feed or approach bears. Intentionally feeding wildlife or letting them find accessible food is illegal. It teaches them to approach homes and lose their natural fear of humans.
- Safely store trash, animal feed and other attractants. Lock up trash receptacles and food scraps to eliminate the powerful odors that attract wildlife to residential properties.
- Never leave pet food outdoors. Feed domestic pets indoors or thoroughly clean up bowls immediately after any outdoor feeding.
- Clean and store outdoor grills. Burn off grease and food particles after every use, and store grills inside a secure garage or shed.
- Secure windows and doors. Keep all bear-accessible windows and doors closed and locked, including garage doors. Bears are excellent climbers, so this includes any top story exterior windows or doors.
- Know what to do if a bear does enter your home. If a bear is in your house, leave immediately if you can safely do so.
- Leave all exit doors open to give the bear a clear escape route, do not block its path, and never try to shoo or corner the animal out of your home. Call 911 immediately and remain outside until wildlife officers have confirmed the bear is out of the home.
- Know what to do if you encounter a black bear.
- If you see a bear before it notices you, don't approach.
- Stop and quietly move away, while giving the bear a clear escape route.
- If a bear sees you, back away slowly. Never run; running may trigger a chase response.
- If a bear approaches, hold your ground, wave your arms and yell, "Hey, Bear!" until it leaves.
- If a black bear makes contact with you, do NOT play dead; fight back aggressively.
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- Black bear trapped in unlocked vehicle dies after days in sweltering heat in Colorado Springs
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