Bears are coming out of their winter slumber in Southwest Colorado, and Colorado Parks and Wildlife is asking residents to help make sure bears live as long and as wild as possible.
CPW asks residents to report bear issues as soon as they are seen. Some bear sightings were reported in the Durango and Bayfield areas this week.
Besides securing trash and taking down bird feeders, residents should call CPW office as soon as they see bears knocking over trash cans, getting into bird feeders or hanging around an area for more than 15 minutes.
Many people ignore what they might consider “minor” problems. Reporting problems early provides wildlife officers flexibility in dealing with the situation. When a bear becomes aggressive, CPW officers have few options.
If a bear is causing problems it’s most likely because some type of food source is available. CPW needs cooperation from residents to make an early intervention.
Bear sightings and problems should be reported to CPW’s Durango office at 247-0855.
