DENVER – Black bears in Colorado are entering hyperphagia and will spend up to 20 hours a day trying to eat more than 20,000 calories to fatten up for winter. As bears start to prepare for hibernation and hunt for food, Coloradans may see more bear activity in urban areas.
Most conflicts between people and bears can be traced to easily accessible human food, trash, fruit trees, shrubs or other attractants with strong odors as a bear’s natural drive to eat can overcome its fear of humans. When bears become too comfortable around humans, they can destroy property or even become a threat to human safety.
“Although black bears are not naturally aggressive and seldom attack or injure people, they are still powerful, wild animals with a strong urge to get food and calories,” said Jamin Grigg, a senior wildlife biologist from CPW’s southwest region. “Understanding bear behaviors and being aware of what steps you can take to avoid bears from approaching your home is an important part of living in Colorado bear country.”
A black bear’s natural diet consists of berries, fruits, nuts, plants and grasses that grow naturally in the foothills and forests. Drought conditions in the northwest part of the state have impacted the natural growth and the prevalence of food sources for black bears, however, natural food sources are still available in the area.
“Research shows that bears prefer natural sources of food. But they will find sources of human-provided food if it’s available, which can become dangerous to humans,” said Brad Banulis, a senior wildlife biologist from Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s northwest region. “Preventing bears from relying on human food sources takes a community effort, and it’s important that we all take proactive steps to avoid any possible conflicts with bears and bearproof our
