By Shannon Lukens. (Picture courtesy of Heidi Hannah.)

 

The bear that was seen crawling in and out of an upper floor window in the Blue Sage neighborhood of Steamboat Springs was caught in a live trap today, by Colorado Parks and Wildlife. The bear was caught in the area of Buckskin Drive near the Colorado Mountain College campus.

The bear was euthanized. Colorado Parks & Wildlife Area Wildlife Manager Kris Middledorf says the carcass will be donated to an outdoor sportswomen’s group to use for further education with field dressing and meat processing.

The yearling bear (or “sub-adult”) had gotten into at least three homes. It had tried to get into one home multiple times. It had also gotten into multiple garages. It was seen frequently in the Blue Sage and Harwig Circle neighborhoods off of Fish Creek Falls Road.

 

Johnathan Lambert and Kyle Bond with Colorado Parks and Wildlife.

Kyle Bond is the District Wildlife Manager for CPW. He explained why the bear had to be euthanized, which he says he never likes doing.

“This bear was put down because of multiple home entries. As soon as they start crossing those thresholds into an occupied dwelling or a used domicile, it because a threat to human safety. Once those bears start feeling comfortable going into homes that are actively maintained by people, all it takes is a startled bear or a bear that feels cornered within a home, if there’s children home, if there’s pets home, that can create a very violent situation very fast. I’ve seen those first hand what they look like and it’s not something that we’re going to tolerate when a bear enters a home. It gets put down. That’s why we are trying to reach out and spend time talking to people and inform them why it is important to secure ground level windows and doors and beyond that all doors and windows that are accessible by stairs, decks, trees. If you’ve got a tree that goes right up to a window, make sure it is closed. That will keep a bear out. In addition, reduce the attractants that are bringing them into your home in the first place, whether that is locking up your trash, whether that is burning off your grill when you’re done cooking with it. Make sure that’s clean. And then making sure those birdfeeders are taken down. I know we love to see our birds, but we have a list of alternatives on our website, including water baths, or flower gardens that will attract all those song birds that we love to see but at the same time will not attract a bear.”

 

The video of the bear has been seen all around the world.

Video of Bear Climbing out of upstairs window

WILDLIFE OFFICERS PLAN TO EUTHANIZED BEAR IN WINDOW 

 

This is the fourth bear to be euthanized in the Steamboat Springs area this year. The first was in a home in January, when it was setting up a den in a person’s crawl space. The homeowners could feel the floor moving with the bear underneath. The three other bears were all because of home entries. Kyle Bond says they usually get a spike in calls in July, when more windows are open during the summer. He also says they average three to four bears to put down every year, and they are already at four as of June 20.

 

Here is the statement from the Colorado Parks and Wildlife website on why a bear has to be euthanized.

“When a bear poses a risk to human health and safety or is known to have caused previous conflict activity, it is often euthanized in accordance with CPW directives. Euthanasia is often used to remove bears that have caused bodily harm to people, livestock, broken into homes or structures, exhibited repeated aggressive
behavior, or exhibited aggressive behavior one time and it is deemed necessary to euthanize by a wildlife officer.”

• Human-Bear Conflicts from Colorado Parks and Wildlife
• CPW explains strike policy for potentially dangerous bears on Fox 31
• (SUBSCRIBER ONLY) After euthanizing 63 bears so far this year, wildlife officials urge Coloradans to bear-proof homes in The Denver Post
• Why do wildlife officers euthanize bears after they attack? on Fox 31
• 66 bears euthanized, 51 relocated in Colorado throughout 2021, says report in The Denver Gazette
• Why do some bears get euthanized instead of relocated? TWRA explains from WJHL
• Bear euthanized in Colorado Springs after repeatedly entering Broadmoor-area home from KDVR 
• Black bear euthanized by CPW after it repeatedly entered a Colorado Springs home from KOAA News