Colorado’s bears go urban as drought drives record bear-human conflicts

Colorado is seeing a historic surge in bear sightings and conflicts as drought leaves bears searching for food, pushing them into urban areas. Colorado Parks and Wildlife logged 6,129 reports through Aug. 13—nearly double last year and on track to be the highest since 2019 digital tracking began. Incidents range from a bear biting a man in Aspen to a bear entering a Steamboat Springs home and a bear on the Colorado State University campus in Fort Collins. The trend echoes in New Mexico, which has seen deadly and injurious bear encounters tied to drought. Officials urge residents to secure trash and grills, remove bird feeders, hike in groups, carry bear spray, and avoid approaching or feeding bears to keep wildlife wild and reduce conflicts.