COLORADO SPRINGS — The News5 staff is used to seeing wildlife outside of their offices, but recently we received our own "bear aware" message.
Video captured from our KOAA Colorado Springs studio off Rockrimmon Boulevard next to Ute Valley Park shows a mother bear along with its cubs making their way across the parking lot.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife said they have received reports of more than 4,000 bear sightings across the state including 500 in Southern Colorado, though they said things could be worse.
"There's been a good food source for them. We didn't have a late freeze or anything like that, so you can only imagine if we've had four thousand on a good bear year, it's gonna be, probably quadruple that on a bad, if not more," Sarah Watson with Colorado State Parks and Wildlife said.
The recent sighting comes after officials said bears across the state are getting ready for hibernation by entering a state of hyperphagia, a process where they pack in as many calories as possible head of winter.
It serves as a reminder for folks to close their garage doors, secure trash and check dumpsters to reduce the risk of a run-in.
