Hungry bears may venture further into neighborhoods in search of food this year as the drought depletes their natural dining hall, but so far the animals’ activity is normal for this time of year, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
Arvada police officials that the city had seen an uptick in bear sightings, and at least one bear has been .
Still, it’s likely too early to connect those sightings to the ongoing drought, Colorado Parks and Wildlife Public Information Officer Kara Van Hoose said.
Colorado wildlife officials have seen an influx of bear sighting reports this month, but the numbers are fairly close to this time last year, Van Hoose said. Beyond the mountains, bear sightings are common in Jefferson, Douglas, Adams and Arapahoe counties, she said.
“We live at this confluence of open space and development,” Van Hoose said. “Bears use open space, and if it’s next to a neighborhood that has trash sitting out, they’re going to venture into that neighborhood. … We kind of all live in bear country.”
But drought is a concern, she said. It can affect bears’ natural food sources and pull them further into the metro area as they search for a meal, she added. Another concern is the recent swings in temperatures between balmy summer weather and overnight freezes, she said.
“Bears have to eat, and they normally would be eating things like berries, cherries, nuts — things they can find in the wild,” Van Hoose said. “When you have drought that’s affecting the bounty of all of these, … the easiest food sources are things like human trash, bird feeders, pet food.”
Colorado’s bears start to wake up in late March or early April, and reports of sightings typically increase in May, Van Hoose said.
State wildlife offices receive the most bear sighting reports when the animals are in and trying to eat as many calories as possible to put on weight before winter, typically spanning a period between September and November, Van Hoose said.
Residents should lock their trash away, clean their grills, take down their bird feeders and clear other sources of food from around their homes to prevent attracting bears, Van Hoose said.
Also, she said, despite social media posts she’s seen encouraging people to leave water out for wild animals during the drought, the best thing to do is leave the animals alone.
“Wildlife don’t need our help,” she said. “They’ve lived through drought years before, they know where to find resources and we should remove things that … teach them to rely on us for food or water so they’re able to find what they should be eating and drinking naturally.”
