Colorado Bears Are Emerging Sooner as Temperatures Rise — CPW Urges Residents to Secure Trash and Food Sources

As the temperature increases, certain bears in Colorado are starting to emerge from their hibernation, as reported by Colorado Parks and Wildlife.

CPW is urging citizens to safely store their food supplies and adhere to recommended guidelines to prevent human-bear conflicts .

Residents of Colorado have coexisted with bears for many years, yet our living spaces have never intersected quite like this before," stated CPW. "With bears beginning to awaken from hibernation, we urge everybody to store readily accessible food items securely to assist in maintaining their natural behavior.

In Southwestern Colorado, early bear activity has been observed this season because of reduced snowfall and higher temperatures, prompting their natural instinct to become active. Nonetheless, CPW points out that bears in Colorado do not undergo full hibernation; instead, they experience a lighter form of dormancy.

Colorado’s bears enter a state of torpor, meaning they occasionally awaken throughout the winter to search for food and restore their depleted energy reserves," explained Kara Van Hoose, a representative from CPW. "This occurs in Colorado due to our milder winters compared to much colder regions further north such as Alaska, where bears experience true hibernation.

To lessen human-bear conflicts, CPW is providing grants to communities aiming to launch bear-aware projects like bear-resistant garbage bins. For more details about these initiatives, visit their website. CPW's website .