look-black-bear-tips-trash-cans-for-3-weeks-says-boo-after-cpw-capture

LOOK: Black Bear Tips Trash Cans for 3 Weeks, Says ‘Boo’ After CPW Capture

Take note, black bears: Even a cute “boo” in time for Halloween won’t save you from relocation if you’re a repeat offender. Colorado Parks & Wildlife (CPW) offers a prime example of this with their latest Twitter post, too, featuring a few great shots of a local bruin.

“BOO! Actually this black bear is saying ‘boo, hoo, hoo’ because it will no longer be roaming neighborhoods southeast of Colorado Springs along Jimmy Camp Creek,” CPW begins of their capture.

“After weeks of dumping garbage cans, this bear wandered into a Colorado Parks & Wildlife trap Sunday night,” they tweet this Halloween. And it’s certainly not bad news for the black bear, either. Obviously habituated to human food sources, the bear risks a dangerous encounter if this behavior keeps up. And it’s these encounters that lead to human injuries and a dead (euthanized) bear.

Instead, “This bear is going to prime bear habitat in the mountains, far from the neighborhoods where it had become a nuisance and growing far too comfortable around people,” CPW states. “Best if folks don’t have to worry if the bear at their door seeking Halloween treats is a child or the real thing!”

CPW’s follow-up tweets feature another great shot of the black bear during relocation, alongside a video of CPW’s Officer Drew Vrbenec describing the trapping. As he explains, the female bear is a sub-adult of around 2-years-old weighing about 150 pounds. Click here to see the other shot and watch Vrbenec’s commentary alongside the young bear.

CPW Officer Details Black Bear’s Halloween Relocation

“We caught a bear here in the southeast part of Colorado Springs,” Vrbenec begins. “She’s been getting into trash, and kind of really living off of it. So we’re gonna work her up, sedate her, put some ear-tags in, and get her out of town. [She’s going] somewhere into the mountains far away; somewhere a lot more suitable for bears.”

As Officer Vrbenec notes off-camera, “this is definitely one of the most docile bears I’ve ever seen in a trap.” The bear, who struck a perfect “boo” pose for CPW cameras earlier, certainly has a sweet face, too. All the more reason to relocate her to safety.

Like many of the bears we write about here at Outsider, this young female has become completely habituated. This means she expects food from human places, and humans themselves. This is not only dangerous for people (as bears are large predators), but also life-threatening for the bears.

As Yellowstone National Park says, “a fed bear is a dead bear.” Often, habituated bears must be euthanized for public safety. And that’s the last thing any conservationist wants or needs. Thankfully, CPW got to this young black bear in time to make sure her Halloween is full of treats after one well-meaning trick.