Black bears have lived in the foothills and alpine forests of Colorado since long before settlers arrived in this area. Today 8,000 to 12,000 black bears are trying to share space with an ever-growing human population in Colorado and there are many living in the San Juan Mountains high alpine forest.

With many more people living and playing in bear country, human-bear encounters are on the rise.  

As a community, we are doing everything we can to try to live in harmony with bears, which means we have to adapt our ways so that they are not disturbed.  Once a bear becomes troubled, it's repetitive behavior to find food where it has succeeded before can cause dangerous encounters for both humans and pets.  

 Colorado Bears Interacting with People

Every year, bears attracted to human food sources damage property, vehicles and in the past have broken into homes to find food. Bears follow their highly sensitive noses to the most calories they can find, and any human trash or food has significantly more calories that fruits or nuts found in nature, so they become highly desireable.  Bears that find food around homes, campgrounds and communities often lose their natural wariness of people and they continue to return to the same areas and can become so troubled they cause injury.  

Learn how to Bear Proof your Home

              Follow the hoc on Instagram @aldasorohoc for photos from the community. 

Bears Need Your Help

Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) is charged with protecting and preserving the state’s wildlife. Every time they must intervene to deter a troubled bear, it’s not just the bear that loses. We all lose a little piece of the wildness that makes Colorado so special.

Learn more about living with bears by clicking the following links. 

Hiking with Bears

Action Steps for Homeowners 

 #1 - no bird feeders during summer months

#2 - all trash cans inside locked trash rooms at all times

#3 - keep windows and doors closed 

#4 - nothing scented left in cars or around the home

#5 - dogs on leash