STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, Colo. — If you're pulling out a grill ahead of Memorial Day weekend, you're not alone. A bear family in Steamboat Springs was spotted doing the same this week.
As seen on a Ring Camera, three black bears — seemingly a mother and two cubs — paid a visit to a Steamboat Springs vacation home's upper level porch on Thursday. They investigated a covered grill and the adult bear then began to pull it across the porch toward the stairs. They tried to pull it down the stairs, but it became stuck, a spokesperson for Ring/Amazon said.
"One of the bears came back, sniffed around and lingered to see if they could get it down, but they were not successful," she added.
Watch the full video of the bears investigating the grill in the video below.
The homeowner, only identified as Richard, said their cameras capture bears on video once or twice a month.
"This particular sighting was a good one, and I was actually in Florida when I got the Ring notification and watched the video," he said.
Bears are quite common in the Steamboat Springs area. In April 2024, we shared an adorable video of two cubs climbing a gondola tower at Steamboat Springs Resort and the following month, we showed you a video of a curious cub as it walked on top of a driver's car,
As of 2022, the most reported conflicts between bears and people in Colorado stemmed from attractants such as trash, bird seed, pet food, and barbecue grills, Colorado Parks and Wildlife reported. Even if homeowners clean and cover the grill — which is always recommended in bear country — the animals have a keen sense of smell and can sometimes still pick up on scraps or grease left behind. You can purchase bear-resistant grill covers at nationwide stores, such as Ace Hardware and Home Depot. CPW recommends, if possible, bringing the grill inside if they are not being used.
In March, Denver7 reported on a new round of grants to fund projects aimed at reducing the number of issues between Coloradans and black bears. Learn more here.
To explore more information about black bears in Colorado, click here.
Denver7 is committed to making a difference in our community by standing up for what's right, listening, lending a helping hand and following through on promises. See that work in action, in the videos above.