The owner was home when the bear got inside on Sunday morning.
Bears are definitely out and about in Colorado. A Colorado Springs woman got a terrifying surprise this weekend when a 150-pound male bear decided to join her for breakfast.
The Colorado Springs woman was frying up some bacon on Sunday morning when she saw the bear rip off her patio door and enter the house. The woman escaped quickly through her front door and was unharmed. She called officials and when Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) showed up on the scene, they found the bear making itself right at home inside.
Lounging on the couch, the bear can be seen in a video released by CPW:
Today, CPW wildlife officers euthanized a bear that entered a #ColoradoSprings home. Learn how to bearproof your home to avoid human-bear interactions. #BearAware
— CPW SE Region (@CPW_SE) June 14, 2020
🔽https://t.co/8pzzEuLxy3 pic.twitter.com/3PnXqbqX6U
Unfortunately, the bear had to be euthanized. It had already been relocated from a nearby Colorado Springs neighborhood and had found its way back to populated areas.
“It's always a hard day when we have to euthanize a bear,” said District Wildlife Manager Cassidy English. “Our mission is to protect wildlife. When bears become habituated to people, they can become a threat to public safety. This is why it is so important that our community works together to keep wildlife wild.”
Wildlife officials believe the bear smelled the cat food and birdseed containers near the patio door, which enticed it to come inside. The home is located on Spirerock Path, near Woodman Road west of I-25.
CPW reminds Colorado residents that there are steps to take to make sure their properties are bear safe:
- Do not feed bears or leave out food for other wildlife.
- Keep pet food inside.
- Be responsible with trash and bird feeders. Locking up feeders at night and using bear-proof trash bins make it easy to keep bears and other critters out of the trash.
- Burn residue off BBQ grills and clean after each use.
- Keep all bear accessible doors, windows, pet entrances, etc. closed and locked, including vehicles and garage/shed doors.
- Pick fruit when it is ready and do not leave fallen fruit on the ground, bears love that stuff!
- Do not leave food or trash in your vehicle.
- Communicate with your neighbors about being bear safe, and if there have been bear sightings in the area.
- If you see a bear near your home your best bet is to try and make a lot of noise and scare it away.
Being bear responsible will quickly become a habit; it's also the law in several parts of Colorado, so failing to be bear aware can result in big fines.
Bears are not often looking for an interaction with humans, instead, they come in search of food, and can become too dependent on human trash bins, etc. Bears that grow too comfortable around humans can learn how to enter homes, destroy property, and may become aggressive towards people and pets.
Have you had a close encounter with a bear here in Colorado? Share your story and any other tips you have in the comments.
