Waterton Canyon, shut down Friday because of bears in the area, will be closed until further notice, an official said Saturday.
“We’re going to have to wait and see when the bears move on,” said Jennifer Churchill, spokeswoman for Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
Public recreation in popular Waterton Canyon, in the foothills southwest of Denver, was shut down Friday after a bear chased a bicyclist. The cyclist was not injured.
Still, Denver Water and Colorado Parks and Wildlife decided to close the canyon to the public as a safety precaution.
“With the increased bear activity and high volume of visitors to the canyon, the decision to close Waterton Canyon was made to reduce the likelihood of a negative encounter from occurring,” said Melanie Kaknes, district wildlife manager, in a media release.
Wildlife officials said two sows, each with twin cubs, and other bears are currently foraging in the canyon.
This is just the most recent incident in a chronicle of Colorado bears ending up where they aren’t wanted.
A early Thursday was euthanized after being captured by wildlife officials.
Bears of all ages have been spotted in neighborhoods and city streets around the state in places such as , , and
Churchill said bear reports are rapidly on the rise as summer winds down.
