COLORADO SPRINGS — Colorado Parks and Wildlife says human-bear conflicts in the state continue to be largely linked to trash.
The agency said 1/3 of all bear reports in Colorado last year were traced to trash as an attractant.
Wednesday, CPW released a map of the reports made last year. Out of more than 4,900 reports, 1,600 plus were linked to trash.
In 2020, @COParksWildlife received 4,943 reports on bears. The first one was on Jan. 3 in Aspen and the last of the year was on Dec. 29 in Aurora.
— CPW NE Region (@CPW_NE) February 3, 2021
Here is a progression map of when and where the bear reports come in across #Colorado. pic.twitter.com/qnYtVhCDXX
"For any improvement, there's got to be a community-wide effort. That starts with securing your attractants. Do not leave your trash can out or unsecured overnight, do not put your trash out until the morning of collection. If you're in a bear habitat, bear-proof trash containers are very important," CPW PIO Jason Clay said.
Trash was not the only problem leading to human-bear conflicts.
Things like bird feeders and unsecured chicken coops also frequently lead to issues with bears.
