Durango is set to take the lead in reducing human-bear conflicts thanks to the recent bear study by Colorado Parks and Wildlife and the city’s response to it.
The hills surrounding Durango were the ideal habitat for biologist Heather Johnson to lead the 6-year, first-of-its-kind study of an urban environment’s influence on human-bear interactions. She recently shared the study’s results with a large group gathered at the Durango Public Library, hosted by La Plata County’s Living with Wildlife Advisory Board.
Johnson, along with her CPW research team, handled over 600 local bears to measure the influences of climate change and human interaction on bear weight, population, and movement.
The study showed that rising temperatures along with urban development significantly shorten the length of bear hibernation. Meaning, our bears are likely to appear earlier each spring, stay out later in the fall.
However, the study proved that Durango’s bears will make fewer appearances in town as more residents store trash in bear-resistant trashcans. In the two neighborhoods where CPW and the city had deployed 1100 bear-resistant trashcans, bear foraging reduced dramatically. Kudos to the city for pledging $600,000 to the purchase of these cans over the next three years.
The LWAB thanks city and county residents for living responsibly with our wildlife; store trash in an enclosed area or in bear-resistant trash cans locked until the morning of pick-up. For more information on the study see http://bit.ly/2pwAc04 or wildsmart.org.
Maureen Keilty
Durango
Editor’s note: Maureen Keilty is chair of the La Plata County Living with Wildlife Advisory Board.
