Human-Bear Conflict

2 More bear attacks in southwestern Colorado add to a record season of conflicts with humans. Read the article from the Colorado Sun and then listen to the interview with KUNC host Marty Lenz.

Bear encounters are at record highs this year in Colorado. That’s mainly because their natural food sources, like berries, are in short supply due to drought conditions. So they head to town looking for food – which creates another set of problems.

Wildlife officials in the Rocky Mountain region are reporting far more trouble than usual between black bears and people this summer. Bears are wandering into urban areas, getting trapped in cars, raiding trash cans and sometimes attacking people.

2025 included 5,259 bear reports. This is the highest number since 2019, when Colorado Parks and Wildlife first started keeping track.

When black bears’ natural food supply is altered by human habits or abnormal weather patterns, they find easy calories in urban spaces. This can lead to more encounters between people and bears.

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Colorado is home to more than 19,000 black bears, all focused on consuming thousands of pounds of calories a day as they prepare for their long winter's…