94 bears were euthanized in Colorado last year, accessible trash often to blame

According to Colorado Parks and Wildlife, reports of bear sightings and conflicts increased significantly between 2021 and 2022, though 2022 numbers were still below those of 2019 and 2020.

In 2022, 4,282 bear sightings and conflicts were reported, which is a 16 percent increase compared to the prior year. The 2022 bear reports resulted in 94 euthanizations and 59 bears being relocated. This is a big jump from the 66 bears that were euthanized in 2021, with 51 bears also being relocated in that year.

The highest number of euthanizations over the past eight years took place in 2017, when 190 bears were killed. In 2020, 158 bears were euthanized and 118 were relocated.

In total, it's estimated that Colorado's black bear population is between 17,000 and 20,000. This population is described as "stable and growing."

Trash was determined to be the top contributing factor when it comes to bear encounters, with roughly one-third of all sightings and conflicts since 2019 traced back to trash. That's roughly 6,100 of the 18,351 reports since then. It's also worth noting that 2.3 percent of those reports have led to euthanization.

Drought tends to be a key factor that contributes to an uptick in bear reports, as drought can push hungry bears into civilized areas at a higher rate. The northwest region, which was in severe drought, saw the highest increase in bear reports in 2022 compared to 2020 and 2021. Not only is it a risk to the immediate safety of humans and bears when bears go hunting for trash, eating trash can also have negative short and long-term health impacts.

The following italicized advice on preventing bear-human conflicts is quoted directly from Colorado Parks and Wildlife:

Bear-proofing your home:

• Keep garbage in a well-secured location. Only put out garbage on the morning of pickup.
• Clean garbage cans regularly to keep them free of food odors: ammonia is effective.
• Keep garage doors closed, Do not leave pet food or stock feed outside.
• Use a bear-resistant trash can or dumpster.
• Bird feeders are a major source of bear/human conflicts. Attract birds naturally with flowers and water baths. Do not hang bird feeders from April 15 to Nov. 15.
• Don’t allow bears to become comfortable around your house. If you see one, haze it by yelling at it, throwing things at it and making loud noises to scare it off.
• Secure compost piles. Bears are attracted to the scent of rotting food.
• Clean the grill after each use, clean-up thoroughly after cookouts.
• If you have fruit trees, don't allow the fruit to rot on the ground.
• Talk to your neighbors and kids about being Bear Aware.

Cars, traveling and campsites:

• Lock your doors when you’re away from home and at night.
• Keep the bottom floor windows of your house closed when you're not at home.
• Do not keep food in your vehicle; roll up windows and lock the doors of your vehicles.
• When car-camping, secure all food and coolers in a locked vehicle.
• Keep a clean camp, whether you’re in a campground or in the backcountry.
• When camping in the backcountry, hang food 100 feet or more from the campsite; don’t bring any food into your tent.
• Cook food well away from your tent; wash dishes thoroughly.

Protecting your chickens, bees, livestock:

• Keep chickens, bees and livestock in a fully covered enclosure, especially at night.
• Construct electric fencing when possible.
• Don’t store livestock feed outside.
• Keep enclosures clean to minimize animal odors.
• Hang rags soaked in ammonia and/or Pine-Sol around the enclosure as a scent deterrent.

It's up to Coloradans to do their part to be bear aware. Irresponsible actions can get bears killed. Read more about bears in Colorado here.

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