At least seven bears were killed in Colorado in just over a week, keeping Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials busy as more bears come in contact with humans.
On Tuesday, a bear was tracked with dogs and killed by Colorado Parks and Wildlife officers after it came within a few feet of two children playing outside near Vallecito Lake. The two boys and their mother were able to make it safely into the house, .
On Friday, wildlife officials say another bear was killed Friday when a Durango landowner shot it after it killed some chickens.
On Monday, wildlife officials believe they killed the bear who bit a camp staffer and tried to drag him out of his sleeping bag. The after he woke up with his head inside the mouth of the bear, which was trying to pull him out of his sleeping bag as he slept outside at Glacier View Ranch 48 miles northwest of Denver, Colorado Parks and Wildlife spokeswoman Jennifer Churchill said. The staffer was treated briefly at a hospital and released.
On July 5, in separate incidents in Vallecito, Pagosa Springs and Cortez, the Durango Herald reported.. Homeowners killed two after bears entered their homes, and wildlife services killed two because they killed livestock.
The incidents continue to highlight an active year for human-bear conflicts, as a poor natural-food cycle has pushed the animals to find alternative food sources, mainly from humans, such as trash or bird feeders.
“This is my fifth summer down here, and this is by far the largest call volume and number of incidents we’ve had,” said Matt Thorpe, wildlife manager for Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
Bryan Peterson of Bear Smart Durango said this year is the busiest bear season since the natural-food failure year of 2012. He said while rain may help, the late frost in June is likely to take a toll on late summer acorns, an important staple to a bear’s diet.
“It may get worse before it gets better,” he said.
