A severe drought across the Rocky Mountains has driven black bears into urban and suburban areas in unprecedented numbers this summer, leading to a surge in human-bear conflicts. Wildlife officials in Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah are reporting twice the average number of bear sightings and interactions compared to previous years.
The parched conditions have depleted natural food sources such as nuts, berries, and plants that bears rely on, forcing them to venture further from their usual habitats in search of sustenance. This has resulted in bears appearing in areas they typically avoid, including residential neighborhoods and even more than an hour's drive east of Colorado Springs on the plains, where natural food sources are scarce.
"Bears aren't necessarily behaving any differently but they are definitely increasing their activity in the places that they’re looking for food," said Travis Sauder, a state wildlife officer in southeastern Colorado. "When they get that far east, there’s just zero natural food sources that they would be looking for, like oaks or chokecherries."
Attractants such as pet food, bird feeders, grease traps, and unsecured trash bins in populated areas are drawing hungry bears. Colorado Parks and Wildlife data indicates that unsecured trash is the biggest factor behind the increase in bear activity. These encounters have ranged from startling incidents, like a bear trapped inside a car in Gold Hill, Colorado, to dangerous confrontations.
Officials have reported an increase in bear attacks on humans. In June, a black bear attacked a hiker in Golden, Colorado. More recently, a man was scratched by a bear outside an apartment building near Vail on August 17, and five days later, a bear bit a fisherman in the mountains southwest of Denver. The latter bear was tracked and killed.
The consequences for bears involved in human interactions are often dire. While some bears are relocated, those that become habituated to human food sources face euthanasia under the wildlife management mantra, "A fed bear is a dead bear." Hundreds of bears have been killed this year across the region, with Utah reporting over three dozen – more than the past three years combined – and New Mexico reaching 187 by early August, the highest number since 2011.
Scientists attribute the widespread drought across the Upper Colorado River Basin, which spans Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, and New Mexico, to human-caused global warming. This climatic shift, combined with vast areas of habitat scorched by wildfires, is creating a challenging environment for wildlife and increasing human-animal conflicts. Efforts are underway to mitigate these issues, with wildlife officials urging residents to secure food and trash to avoid attracting bears.