DOUGLAS COUNTY, Colo. (KDVR) — We are about a month away from when bears will go into hibernation, and Colorado Parks and Wildlife has some important reminders to stay bear-aware.
Residents of the Grand View Estates near Lincoln and Chambers in Douglas County, east of Interstate 25, reached out to FOX31 after reporting seeing a mother bear and her cub wandering around the neighborhood for several days.
"About a week ago, we saw on Facebook that there was a baby cub and a mama bear that was in our neighborhood, kind of just looking around in people's yards, looking for either trash or looking for somewhere to go or hide," said neighbor Gabrielle Martinez.
The family has two kids, along with a horse, ducks, chickens and more. But, typically they have to protect their animals from coyotes or foxes.
"Lot of deer, but bears, no. So, it's pretty unusual, shocking to hear," said Virgil Martinez.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife says it's not totally unusual for bears to be east of I-25.
"Anywhere along the Front Range is bear country, really. Even east of I-25, you see bears looking for food. We have open space there that bears will travel into. While it's probably rarer for them because as they keep going east, their food options also become rarer. They do venture over there, and they do eventually make their way back west," said Kara Van Hoose of CPW.
CPW says this time of year between mid-August and mid-November is called hyperphagia, where bears try to eat up to 20,000 calories a day to get them through the winter.
"Bears are motivated by food. If they find food in a location, they will return there again and again until they no longer find food," said Van Hoose. "It's very important that bears do not get fed and do not get food that first time because if they don't find it that first time, they're not going to keep coming back looking for it."
CPW recommends keeping your trash indoors until the morning of pickup, keeping car and house doors locked and garages shut, as well as keeping bird feeders down until after Thanksgiving.
"A cub can be just as powerful ... Cubs at this time of year are very large and they still have claws, they still have teeth. Cubs are still able to harm you and to cause harm to other people even though they are smaller," said Van Hoose.
CPW also recommends if you do come in contact with a bear, yell at it, or create loud noise from a car alarm, music or an air horn.
"Anytime you see a bear roaming your neighborhood, that bear is not supposed to be there. That bear is supposed to be in the wild where it can really thrive and find the best habitat and the best food for them," said Van Hoose.
Link to original article