The bear spotted on Aug. 12 roaming through Arvada.
Courtesy photo
Another black bear has been spotted in Arvada, but folks should refrain from giving it a “bear hug,” according to authorities. The latest bear sighting occurred early on Aug. 12 on the 6400 block of Carr Street. The same bear was seen later that day at Majestic View Nature Center.
Arvada Police Public Information Officer Dave Snelling said that bears have been coming into town this year in search of food and water amid the state’s drought conditions. He added that he could not say whether there was an increase in bear activity on a year-to-year basis.
“It’s hard to say from year to year, but our understanding is that with the drought, certain food sources in their regular habitat are not available,” Snelling said. “My understanding is that it will create a larger range (that the bears will roam), but according to the CPW (Colorado Parks and Wildlife) website, they have a very large range of over 50 miles.”
Snelling cautioned residents from approaching bears, noting that CPW has a “strike” policy wherein if a bear is deemed a “nuisance” and comes into contact with humans more than once, it can be euthanized.
“You should absolutely leave it alone,” Snelling said. “Stay indoors. Feel free to contact dispatch and let us know its location. We will just track it to make sure it’s doing what bears do, and heading back to the rest of its habitat further west.”
Snelling said the bear seen on Aug. 12 hasn’t been seen since, leading authorities to believe it went back to its natural habitat.
Additionally, residents can preemptively prepare for bears by securing all food and trash that might be accessible to them.
“The biggest thing that we can do as a community is secure any potential food sources,” Snelling said. “So, bear-proof your trash cans, put away your bird feeders, keep your gardens as clean as possible, and limit any foods that naturally would attract bears, so that they stay in their own habitat and don’t rely on coming into residential areas to eat.”
This is not the first high-profile bear sighting in Arvada recently, as a bear was seen befriending a local dog on the west side of town in July.
Another bear was spotted in June but was quickly moved out of town, Arvada Police said in a social media post.
Arvada Police typically does not share a bear’s location with the public until it has gone back to its normal habitat so that folks do not interfere with the bear’s movements.