A Loveland resident was visited by an unexpected, yet polite, guest Friday morning: a bear.
Lynn Feldman, who lives in the 2900 block of Sally Ann Drive near Cattail Pond, said that she woke up to open the back screen door for her cat around 7:30 a.m., went to a different room toward the back of her home to work on her computer, and then walked out a few minutes later to the backside of a bear. She described the bear as a 3-foot-tall juvenile black bear.
“He was definitely a bear and he had clearly walked down the hallway … I think he was just checking the place out,” Feldman said. “He had probably got through the screen door, put his paw in there … I just crack it wide enough for the cat.”
Feldman said her first instinct was to try and scare the bear off, but that she decided against that, and instead locked herself in a room away from the bear, called her daughter who lives nearby for assistance, and then 911. She said officers arrived within just a few minutes, and that the multi-police car response may have been overkill, but that she was grateful.
“I thought that might be stupid … just wait for somebody to come and Loveland Police Department, kudos to them,” she said. ” … They looked like a SWAT team.”
She said officers deployed a drone to check if the bear was still inside, and after some time, her home was deemed all clear. There was no damage to her home, she said, but the bear did take the cat food that she had set out on the floor and knocked over some papers, she added.
“This was a very polite bear,” Feldman said. “I don’t think he stayed long because I tried to hear for anything, broken glass or something, but he barely touched a thing …”
Officer Grant Longberg said, “The sleeves were looking extra tight today and Yogi was a little too intimidated, fleeing the scene before my arrival,” according to the incident report. Nearby security footage captured the bear leaving, according to a .
Colorado Parks and Wildlife also responded to the incident, according to the post. The police department thanked the agency for its partnership and the homeowner’s calm response to the bear. The department said she followed recommended protocol by keeping a safe distance from the bear, calling for help, and letting professionals handle wildlife encounters, the post stated.
In an emailed statement, CPW Public Information Officer Kara Van Hoose said bears are common in Loveland and in Larimer County, and added that residents should remove their trash so bears aren’t attracted to the scent; take down birdfeeders; and keep cars, houses and windows locked to prevent bear break-ins.
