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, which may lead to 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.
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 affected the natural growth and the prevalence of food sources for black bears, however, natural food sources are still available in the area.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife asks all residents and visitors to be bear aware throughout the late summer and fall seasons. Bear conflicts and euthanization is most often traced back to human behavior.
For more information about bears and bear-proofing, visit www.cpw.state.co.us/bears.
