Mother bear, cubs relocated after being found under deck of Colorado Springs home
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – A Northeast Colorado Springs family received a surprise on Sunday when they discovered a family of bears living beneath their backyard deck.
This incident highlights a growing trend of bear sightings in residential areas, which Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) attributes to ongoing drought conditions and light snowpack.
CPW officials indicate that bear sightings are becoming more common this year because dry conditions have left natural food sources scarce in forest areas. This scarcity forces bears to venture into neighborhoods more frequently than usual in their search for sustenance.
Mary Lonneke, the homeowner, and her daughter heard noises coming from underneath their deck on Saturday, which led to the discovery of the bear family. Lonneke found some humor in the unexpected situation, stating, "No porridge, no. And Goldilocks wasn't here either."
The bears had transformed a small space under the deck into a makeshift shelter. Lonneke noted her surprise at finding such wildlife in a residential area. "It's interesting to me that that type of wildlife in a heavily residential area like we live in," Lonneke said. "I expect to see them in the forest, not under my deck."
Lonneke also recounted a previous encounter several weeks ago with a bear in her yard. "I did have a face-to-face encounter with the bear several weeks ago," Lonneke said. "I could see a shadow through the tree. And I thought, what is that? And lo and behold, I was just standing right there. And he was right there looking at me. And, it really scared me."
The bear eventually left her alone during that prior encounter. Bears possess a strong sense of smell, making houses with amenities like bird feeders or grills attractive potential food sources for them. Footage from a different home in a nearby neighborhood showcased a bear searching for more food after locating bird feed.
After their discovery on Sunday, the bears found under Lonneke's deck were sedated. They were then woken up and subsequently released back into the wild. Colorado Parks and Wildlife advises residents to secure trash cans, remove bird feeders from their yards, and clean grills. If a bear is sighted, CPW suggests making noise, such as with a car alarm or by banging pans together, to scare it off.
CPW said the bears were then relocated several hours south to a better habitat, given a "wake-up" drug, and released.
The agency posted a video of the moment the bears were released back into the wild:
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