Bear encounters are at a record pace this year across Colorado. As a result, Colorado Parks and Wildlife(CPW) and the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies are offering support through a program called Bear Wise, bearwise.com.
Similar to the neighborhood watch concept of watching for crime, if everyone knows a bear is nearby, neighbors can rally to deter it. The Bear Wise website provides tips on securing trash, navigating a bear encounter with your dog, how to attract birds, not bears, backcountry safety tips and more.
This year, CPW tracking shows bear encounters in the thousands, a record pace. Bears are moving into urban areas looking for food due to this year’s drought conditions and wildfires. The Bear Wise program hopes to prevent situations where people are hurt or bears end up euthanized.
