Police and Division of Wildlife officers are asking for the public’s help in finding the people who were seen Wednesday feeding cheeseburgers to a black bear and her three cubs in Eagle.
“This is an extraordinary example of stupid and irresponsible behavior by people,” said Northwest Regional Manager Ron Velarde in a statement.
“Because of their reckless actions, the sow and the cubs now know that people mean food. This dramatically increases the likelihood that these bears will get into trouble and have to be put down.”
According to reports filed with the Eagle Police Department, between 12:20 p.m. and 1:20 p.m. on Wednesday, several callers reported a bear and her cubs going through a dumpster at a Burger King in Eagle.
The scene quickly drew a crowd, but witnesses reported that at least two people bought burgers and hand-fed them to the bears.
DOW officers are asking the public for help in identifying those people. Anyone caught feeding wildlife is subject to hefty fines.
Previous reports have been filed on the same mother bear entering a car in the area to steal food, increasing DOW’s concerns.
DOW officers believe the people involved in Wednesday’s incident could have been tourists driving through.
“What might have started out as a great photo opportunity for them creates a big problem for us,” said area wildlife manager, Perry Will in a released statement. “Locals and visitors alike need to understand that we will not tolerate anyone putting our citizens and our wildlife at risk.”
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call the DOW office in Glenwood Springs at 970-947-2920.
Yesenia Robles: 303-954-1372 or yrobles@denverpost.com
