Colorado bears getting hungrier before hibernation: Officials

DENVER ( KDVR ) — As bears prepare for winter hibernation, they must satisfy a diet of 20,000 calories per day in the coming months. However, Colorado Parks and Wildlife warns that when they run out of their natural food, it can be dangerous for both people and the bears.

As bears begin to prepare for hibernation, the CPW said that the creatures will spend around 20 hours a day looking to fill an appetite of about 20,000 calories, equivalent to a fast food order consisting of 20 chicken sandwiches, 10 large orders of french fries, 10 soft drinks and 10 milkshakes.

CPW said bears prefer their natural diet of berries, fruits, nuts, plants and grasses in the foothills and forests, but once they run out, they move to urban areas.

“Research shows that bears prefer natural sources of food. But they will seek out sources of human-provided food if it’s available which can become dangerous to humans,” said CPW Northwest Region Senior Wildlife Biologist Brad Banulis in a press release.

When bears become too comfortable around people, they can destroy property and even become a threat to humans, according to CPW. Meanwhile, many bear euthanizations stem from human conflicts.

Especially during the coming months, CPW is asking people to be “bear aware” and hide things that may attract bears to prevent conflicts.

Ways to bear-proof

CPW recommends taking the following steps for the next few months to prevent attracting bears:

In your home:

• Keep garbage in a well-secured location and only put out garbage on the morning of pickup
• Clean garbage cans regularly to keep them free of food odors
• Keep garage doors closed
• Do not leave pet food or stock feed outside
• Use a bear-resistant trash can or dumpster
• Do not hang bird feeders from April 15 to Nov. 15
• Don’t allow bears to become comfortable around your house, if you see one, haze it by yelling at it, throwing things at it and making loud noises to scare it off
• Secure compost piles as bears are attracted to the scent of rotting food
• Clean the grill after each use, and clean up thoroughly after cookouts
• If you have fruit trees, don’t allow the fruit to rot on the ground
• Talk to your neighbors and kids about being “bear aware”

Cars, traveling and campsites:

• Lock your doors when you’re away from home and at night
• Keep the bottom floor windows of your house closed when you’re not at home
• Do not keep food in your vehicle; roll up windows and lock the doors of your vehicles
• When car-camping, secure all food and coolers in a locked vehicle
• Keep a clean camp, whether you’re in a campground or in the backcountry
• When camping in the backcountry, hang food 100 feet or more from the campsite; don’t bring any food into your tent
• Cook food well away from your tent; wash dishes thoroughly

Protecting your chickens, bees, livestock:

• Keep chickens, bees and livestock in a fully covered enclosure, especially at night
• Construct electric fencing when possible
• Don’t store livestock feed outside
• Keep enclosures clean to minimize animal odors.
• Hang rags soaked in ammonia and/or Pine-Sol around the enclosure as a scent deterrent

There have already been many bear sitings this year.

One bear was seen in Highlands Ranch entering garages, climbing over fences and going through trash cans. Another bear was found lying under a deck in Pagosa Springs. One bear even stumbled upon the Colorado Renaissance Festival, where authorities had to remove the unexpected visitor .

If you spot a bear in your neighborhood, CPW asks people to call and report it to them so they can track and keep data on the bears’ whereabouts.

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