Be Bear Aware
by Amber Meyers, Park Interpreter, Garden of the Gods Park
2026 is a record year for black bear encounters across Colorado. You may be wondering, how common is it to see a bear in the Garden of the Gods? While not a daily occurrence, they have been spotted several times this summer. Bears tend to stay away from the noisy, strange-smelling human creatures that walk around the park, but this is their territory. Here is what you need to know to be prepared.
This year’s low snowpack, late spring freeze, summer drought and large wildfires means that there is less food available for the approximately 20,000 black bears in Colorado. Their goal this time of year is to find as much food as possible before winter comes. Bears need about 20,000 calories day to prepare for winter and will spend up to 20 hours a day foraging!
What do they eat? Black bears are omnivores. In some areas, up to 90% of their diet is nuts, seeds, berries, and grasses. The other 10% includes insects and carrion. When this natural food is scarce, they follow their noses to other sources of food. A bear’s nose is so sensitive that it can smell food 5 miles away, up to 20 miles if the wind and other conditions are just right.
Bears are naturally wary of humans; however, some bears have learned to associate neighborhoods, parks and campgrounds with delicious (though not nutritious) food such as garbage, birdseed, and hummingbird feeders. Sadly, every year in Colorado, bears that are too comfortable around humans are destroyed.
One of the best ways to protect both bears and people is to keep them wild. Use the bearproof trashcans in the park. Don’t feed them. At home, don’t let them access birdfeeders or your household garbage cans, and clean your grill after cooking.
What to do if you encounter a bear? Stand your ground. Talk to it. Make yourself big and loud, yell at it. You can wave your arms or a coat above your head. If attacked, fight back.
Do your part to keep bears wild. By being responsible and bear aware, we can safely share this beautiful park with bears. More info is online at www.cpw.state.co.us/bears.
