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Bear Sightings Rise In Douglas County

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4) - Increased bear activity in the Roxborough neighborhood south of Chatfield State Park has wildlife officials worried.

The sheriff's department on Wednesday cautioned residents with flashing roadside signs that warn:

"Bear activity in the area. Please secure trash and pet food."

A resident spotted a small bear in her back yard on Wednesday morning.

"At first I thought it was a raccoon and then I saw it was a bear," she told CBS4. "I admit I freaked out a little." The bear stuck around eating berries and sniffing around the house before it left. "By living here, I choose to live where there's wildlife."

The county has fielded more than a dozen bear-related calls in Roxborough this summer. A bear last summer camped out in a back yard for a day until animal control removed it. Residents there generally don't use bear-proof garbage containers, making them easy targets for wildlife.

"It could be easily prevented if they put the food and trash away overnight," a law enforcement officer said. "They're hungry. They're coming out of hibernation, so they're looking for something to eat."

Authorities can relocate a bear once. But the second time it encroaches on developments, it must be put down.

 

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