In Hotels, Cars, Sewers: Bears On The Move In Colorado [WATCH]

BEAR COUNTRY, CO – In Colorado, bears are on the move at the end of summer. Between now and around Thanksgiving, bears go on a pre-hibernation eating binge called "hyperphagia." To build up their fat reserves for a long winter's nap, Colorado Parks and Wildlife say, black bears need to wolf down 20,000 calories a day in a feeding frenzy when they switch for a summer diet of "insects, leaves, and flowers of broad-leafed plants" to a higher fat and carbohydrate diet of fruits and nuts, and ... garbage.

Bears have been captured on video this year in Colorado breaking into human areas looking for a fat-building meal.

Bear visits luxury mountain hotel

Last week, Estes Park's historic Stanley Hotel had a furry visitor who wandered the lobby and jumped on the coffee table. "Late night visitor from the wildside visits our hotel lobby," the clerk posted on Facebook. "We'll make an exception to the rule about jumping on the furniture."

Bear trashes car interior

In Conifer, a car owner found out how kids can really trash your car when a cub accidentally got locked in a Subaru. Turns out, it's easy for a smart bear to open an unlocked car door and get inside. It's much harder for them to let themselves out. In this case, the devastation was epic.

Bear pops out of manhole

In west Colorado Springs, a 250-lb. bear, possibly lured by berries in a neighbor's brush pile,got stuck in a sewer drain. CPW agents caught him on video as he popped out of a manhole.

Bear visits Boulder schoolyard

In Boulder, an elementary school went on "lockout" status Wednesday because a bear was spotted near Flat Irons School.

"Curious, intelligent and very resourceful"

"Today, bears are sharing space with a growing human population," the CPW's Bear Aware reports say. "Curious, intelligent, and very resourceful, black bears will explore all possible food sources. If they find food near homes, campgrounds, vehicles, or communities, they’ll come back for more. Bears will work hard to get the calories they need, and can easily damage property, vehicles, and homes."

But bears that become aggressive going after an easy meal in a car, dumpster or home must often be destroyed, CPW says.

Just because wildfires across the state this year have taken away some natural food sources, don't think you should "help" bears by leaving food out.

“Wildlife, including bears, are very resilient during times of habitat stress,” said Jerrie McKee, district wildlife manager with CPW. “In most cases, animals affected by wildfires or other stressors do not require human intervention to find food. If you have concerns about a bear or other animal, call your local CPW office, but don't take matters into your own hands - there is never a good reason for people to feed wildlife.”

If you live in bear country, or have heard that bears are in the area, here are some tips to bear-proof your home.

Keep Bears Out

• Close and lock all bear-accessible windows and doors when you leave the house, and at night before you go to bed.
• Install sturdy grates or bars on windows if you must leave them open.
• Keep car doors and windows closed and locked if you park outside. Make sure there’s nothing with an odor in your vehicle, including candy, gum, air fresheners, trash, lotions and lip balms.
• Close and lock garage doors and windows at night and when you’re not home; garage doors should be down if you are home but not outside.
• Install extra-sturdy doors if you have a freezer, refrigerator, pet food, bird seed, or other attractants stored in your garage.
• Remove any tree limbs that might provide access to upper level decks and windows.
• Replace exterior lever-style door handles with good quality round door knobs that bears can’t pull or push open.

Get Rid of Attractants

• Don’t leave trash out overnight unless it’s in a bear-proof enclosure or container. Be sure to research all local ordinances and regulations if vacationing.
• Don’t store food of any kind in an unlocked garage, flimsy shed or on or under your deck.
• Don’t leave anything with an odor outside, near open windows or in your vehicle, even if you’re home. That includes scented candles, air fresheners, lip balms and lotions.
• Only feed birds when bears are hibernating. If you want to feed birds when bears are active, bring in seed or liquid feeders at night or when you leave home.

Teach Bears They’re Not Welcome

• If a bear comes close to your home, scare it away. Loud noises like a firm yell, clapping your hands, banging on pots and pans or blowing an air horn sends most bears running.
• Utilize electric fencing, unwelcome mats and scent deterrents like ammonia to teach bears that your property is not bear-friendly.
• If a bear enters your home, open doors and windows and ensure it can leave the same way it got in. Don’t approach the bear or block escape routes.
• Never approach a bear. If a bear won’t leave, call your local CPW office. If a bear presents an immediate threat to human safety, call 911.

For additional information, see CPW's Living with Bears page or visit cpw.state.co.us.

Image via Russell Hons/CSM/Shutterstock

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