Despite the cold, wildlife danger persists

A deer in your back yard or a bear in your garbage can are common sights in Southern Colorado.

But if you’re trying to attract wild animals to your property we have a warning for you.

Wild does not fit Luigi at all. He’s a long-haired Chihuahua.

That’s the way his owner Jill Underwood likes it.

“I’ve seen plenty of bears near Garden of the Gods,” she said.

Living in a mountain town, she knows she has to share her backyard.

“They were here before we were. This is more their area than it is ours,” she said.

Ben Meier is a district wildlife manager at Colorado Parks and Wildlife. He said, “Obviously in Colorado Springs there’s a high density of deer in the town. Moose sometimes will wander down if the food source is scarce.”

And we’ve seen bears at not just one but two restaurants in the area.

Plenty of people here in Colorado Springs have seen wildlife; it comes with living near the mountains. And while it’s great to see the wildlife, there are ways to keep both you and them safe.

The first rule: Don’t feed the animals!

Meier said, “It brings all the wildlife into one spot, which spreads disease. If you’re providing them with food they begin to rely on that instead of relying on their own source of food.”

Recent video of a moose tangled in a swing in Summit County is why wildlife officers warn about feeding wildlife.

It affects their safety and yours. It can also make the animals sick.

And it could be bad for your bank account. If caught, you can get a ticket.

Last summer, a Colorado Springs woman was arrested for feeding bears in her neighborhood.

She was giving human food to about six to 10 bears.