The skinny
- What’s the story? A bear that trekked from Acres Green to Park Meadows was relocated to a better bear habitat Monday.
- Why it matters: Human-wildlife interactions are on the rise as the population grows on the Front Range.
- What we’re promising: We asked Colorado Parks & Wildlife about the bear’s journey, how common bear sightings are in the metro area – and what you need to know to keep bears wild.
Colorado Parks & Wildlife officials were working to dart and relocate a bear that made more than a mile-long trek through Lone Tree to Park Meadows mall on Monday.
Over the course of four-and-a-half hours, the black bear made its way from a residential area in Acres Green to a tree on Park Meadows Center Drive, crossing under C-470 in the process. Crews from CPW, South Metro Fire-Rescue and Lone Tree police helped with the eventual rescue, which involved tranquilizing the bear to relocate it.
The bear’s journey was documented in part on social media by first responders in the area.
- RAW VIDEO: Watch first responders rescue the bear from a tree near Park Meadows mall
After the initial sighting – near Acres Green Drive and Maximus Drive, in close proximity to the Acres Green Elementary School campus – Denver7 reached out to CPW for its take.
It’s not uncommon for bears to make their way into the metro, according to Kara Van Hoose, a public information officer for the agency’s northeast region. In fact, this bear was “doing exactly what [CPW wants] it to” Monday morning, as it was reported to have been moving into open space in Lone Tree just over an hour after it was initially spotted in Acres Green.
Things changed when the bear rerouted to Park Meadows, the popular shopping center near the interchange of I-25 and C-470.
“Once the bear crossed under C-470 and went up a tree, we decided to step in and move it into greener spaces [which are] better bear habitat,” Van Hoose said. “This bear got stuck where it needed a hand to get into a better spot, which is why we chose to relocate.”
The rescue took about 35 minutes, South Metro Fire-Rescue told Denver7. Park Meadows Center Drive reopened after being closed during the rescue.
Are bear sightings on the rise in the Denver metro?
Bears have been spotted in most or all of the metro counties in the past, Van Hoose said. And, while there’s no notable trend year-over-year, she said it’s safe to say bear sightings in town have gotten more frequent over time – but it’s not the bears’ fault.
“We're seeing more bears, for sure, and that's because we're developing in new places,” she said. “People are living in spaces that bears are already in. So, of course, you're seeing more bears.”
She added that the advent of doorbell cameras and other outdoor surveillance has also increased the visibility of bears and other wildlife that were likely already there but previously unseen.
- Hear more from Kara Van Hoose on bear sightings in the metro in the video player below:
Keeping bears wild: What you need to know
If you live in Douglas County – or Jefferson, Arapahoe, or Adams counties – you’re in bear country, Van Hoose said, “and you have a responsibility to help keep bears wild. It's not just CPW’s responsibility, it's everyone's.”
Bears prefer lush places like forests. The only reason a bear would be visible in a residential or urban area is if it was being lured in by the smell of trash or food, she said.
CPW lists several simple things those in bear country can do to make sure bears don’t become an issue in their neighborhood:
- Keep track of your trash. Don’t put it out until collection day
- Keep your windows to your house, garage and car locked
- Don’t leave pet food outside
- Clean your grill after use
- Remove bird feeders
- Pick fruit before it’s ripe and clean up fallen fruit
- Don’t leave food or other scented items in your car
If you see a bear, you should leave it alone. But you can do what CPW calls “hazing” it by making noises that make it uncomfortable. This could include things like blowing an air horn, yelling at it or clanging pots and pans.
While it’s not uncommon for a bear to be seen in urban areas, it’s better for the bear if we don’t, Van Hoose said.
“The best case scenario is that you never see a bear in your neighborhood, because then bears are doing what they innately should be doing, which is eating things that are out in the wild and foraging for natural food sources,” she said.
- See more from CPW about co-existing with bears in Colorado in the brochure below:
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