Colorado Springs and Urban Bears
Though we enjoy seeing the wildlife in our back yard, it is an indicator of a wide spread problem. Bears are living in the urban environment because food is easy to come by. Human trash provides a poor substitute for the natural diet that the bear is designed to eat. Urban bears are also only given two chances when they become “nuisance” bears. On the third strike the bears are killed.
Colorado Springs is continuing to demonstrate it’s not so progressive agenda by not mandating bear proof trash receptacles. The bears seem to learn what trash day is and just make the rounds. Some people are even like a nearby neighbor and leave their trash out all week and just clean up after the bear gets into it.
The statement “Garbage Kills Bears” is true. Colorado Springs is a part of the urban wildlife interface and we all need to be respectful and take responsible action so we coexist in with as much harmony as possible with our wild neighbors.
Even though I like seeing the bears and the cubs are cute, if I never saw another bear in our urban setting they would not be missed. The bears being gone would indicate they have moved back into the wild and are living a healthy life.
The Colorado Division of Wildlife has a great web resource on Living With Bears.