Colorado Parks and Wildlife reminding residents to lock car doors after a series of bear break-ins
COLORADO, USA (KRDO)--Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) for both the north and south east regions are reminding residents to keep their car doors locked because of recent bear break-ins.
The CPW SE Region stated that bears are smart and can quickly learn how to open doors and windows. They are able to copy human behavior and if humans teach them that cars and homes hold tasty rewards, they will try to find a way inside.
Bears are smart. Once humans teach them that cars and homes hold tasty rewards, bears will search for a way inside. They learn quickly how to open doors and windows. Then they will repeat the behavior even when now food is inside, as was the case in Woodland Park on Friday. 1/2 pic.twitter.com/AdCJvjKWYk
— CPW SE Region (@CPW_SE) June 5, 2023
The CPW NE Region reiterates these statements by stating how important it is to bring in food from your vehicles as bears can smell it and will open your car door to get it.
Dog food + unlocked truck = bear trapped in your truck
— CPW NE Region (@CPW_NE) June 5, 2023
📢up to listen our wildlife officer free the bear and scare it from the area. Good lesson to bring in food from your vehicles! Bears can smell it and learn how to open doors. pic.twitter.com/hKkgfwrXoH
In light of these recent bear break-ins, CPW SE Region is encouraging residents to keep themselves and bears alive and safe, as bears who do end up occupying a home or car, might have to pay the ultimate price.
For example, CPW officials had to make a tough decision to euthanize a bear who kept returning to a Colorado Springs home.
According to CPW’s Area Wildlife Manager for the Pikes Peak region, Tim Korening, CPW’s policy states, “any bear inside an occupied home is dangerous and the bear must be euthanized.”
To stay “bear-aware” in your region you can find more tips on how you can keep yourself and bears safe by clicking here.
