Bear Wanders Into Highlands Ranch Neighborhood
HIGHLANDS RANCH, Colo. (CBS4) - A bear that was spotted wandering around in a Highlands Ranch neighborhood on Friday had to be put down because the bear already had been tagged.
The animal encounter on Friday morning came a day after a bear in a southwest Denver neighborhood roamed around, climbed a tree and eventually had to be euthanized.
Jake Stevens tweeted a photo of the bear climbing a fence in the Westridge Village subdivision near Silver Maple Road.
Wildlife officers tranquilized and captured the bear as she fell out of the tree. The bear was the same yearling female that came into Highlands Ranch a week or two ago.
"This bear was hopping back yards in an urban environment. Obviously, she felt this was her neighborhood," said Colorado Parks and Wildlife spokeswoman Jennifer Churchill.
Churchill said the bear was bleeding and had indications of internal bleeding which suggested that she may have been struck by a car. The bear was brought to the Colorado Parks and Wildlife headquarters where she was euthanized.
Churchill also reacted to the public who has responded negatively by the two bears that have been put down this week.
"We'd still have conflicts. If there were easier, if there were more palatable solutions that actually solved this, we'd use them. If people would adhere to these things (recommendations that CPW suggests), bears wouldn't come around," said Churchill.
