Edelweiss dumpster diver bear hits social media
It’s barely believable, but a bear keeps coming back for more German grub. Edelweiss Restaurant has a dumpster diver. And neighbors in the area are having problems, too.
It’s the talk of the town or at least the chatter at Edelweiss Restaurant. An eager bear ready for a midnight snack grabs a dumpster two nights in a row.
On Tuesday, the furry intruder was caught on surveillance. Ditto on Wednesday night, but the third time not a charm.
“It’s a little ironic. You’d think they’d give up, but I guess they were hungry,” said customer Melissa McGuinness.
“Once in a great while we get a trouble maker,” said next door neighbor Phillip Barry.
That’s why Parks and Wildlife gave Edelweiss tack boards.
“You can see the way he maneuvers that trash can around. All he’s going to do is feel those and realize that they’re not something that you should touch. And he’s going to move onto the next thing,” said Edelweiss Manager Dieter Schnakerberg.
But the next thing could be your trash. An open trash can is an open invitation for a bear – so Colorado Parks and Wildlife says you should lock up your trash as best you can.
“We honestly have ours on the side of the house. We have a fenced-in backyard, but now we might re-think where we keep our trash cans,” said McGuinness.
Phillip Barry has lived next door for 34 years. His solution is simple and cheap: a bungee cord.
“Just hook it in back and hook it down in front. And that’ll keep the bear basically out because you can pull at it. It’ll keep snap on it. That’s what he did last night and he just gave up,” he said demonstrating the cord.
The Edelweiss Bear is a hit on Twitter. @EdelweissBear
On Reddit, there’s a video someone rewound to show the bear putting the dumpster back. It’s a dream Edelweiss and neighbors wish was reality.
Parks and Wildlife believes this is the same bear “dumpster dragging”, if you will, because once a bear finds food, it will remember that’s a place where it can dine again.
Edelweiss’ manager says he’s planning on getting bear-proof dumpsters as soon as possible.
