By Shannon Lukens.
Bears are still getting into Steamboat homes. As of Monday, July 11, Colorado Parks and Wildlife officers have responded to 105 incidents where bears came into homes and buildings through open windows and garages.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife says on Sunday, a bear came in through an open kitchen window and came back later that night and got in through an open basement window. Make sure doors and windows are closed and locked if they’re on bear level.
Only put out your trash on the morning of pickup. Put some ammonia or bleach in the trash can because bears don’t like it.
Courtesy photos
Always lock your car doors because bears know how to get into cars and look for food. But they don’t always know how to get out if the door shuts and they’re stuck in there.
Here is the full press release from Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife officers remind Steamboat Springs residents to keep all bear-accessible windows and doors closed and locked, including garage doors. This simple step goes a long way towards keeping your home from becoming a target for the next opportunistic bear to be in your home.
As of July 11, CPW wildlife officers have responded to 105 incidents involving bears in the Town of Steamboat Springs. Of those, 23 have been for bears getting into homes through open windows and garages. Most of the incidents occurred within the last 60 days, and only reflect incidents reported to CPW. Wildlife officers believe that number is higher. On July 10, a bear entered a home in Steamboat Springs twice. Once around 6 a.m through an open kitchen window. Later that evening the bear got in through an open basement window.
“Bears are extremely smart, and can smell food from a very long distance,” said Assistant Area Wildlife Manager Josh Dilley. “Bears are not picky eaters. They will eat just about anything they can access easily, including dog food and trash. Once a bear learns where they can find readily available food, they will more than likely return.”
In addition to bears getting into homes, CPW wildlife officers continue to see improper trash storage and containers around town. Empty cans and boxes still smell like food, and can attract bears and lead to bigger problems down the road. Bears that learn garbage is food sometimes come inside homes looking for more.
“We can’t stress the importance of this enough,” said Dilley. “Not only are you putting your own safety at risk, but you’re also putting a bear’s life at risk. When a bear gets too comfortable around people it can become a threat to human safety, and ultimately leads to a bear being euthanized. When you do your part to bear-proof your home and property, you help keep bears alive and wild.”
Want to know if your home is bear proof? Use this Home Audit Checklist to help identify what you’re doing right and what you need to do to be more bear-responsible. Your safety and a bear’s life depends on it.
To learn more about bear proofing your home visit our website.
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