Colorado Bears Are Stocking Up For Hibernation, Here's How To Stay Safe

As bears begin stocking up for the winter, Colorado's high country has been seeing an increase in human-bear interactions.

According to KDVR, there have been a dozen bear break-ins reported just this last week.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife say bears have entered hyperphagia, which is the process in which bears eat and drink nonstop to fatten up for hibernation.

Bears in the area are now consuming around 20,000 calories per day.

“Really, it’s a daily occurrence now: bears getting into vehicles that are unlocked, getting into houses that have their windows cracked,” wildlife officer Chase Rylands told KDVR.

CPW is warning residents and tourists to be vigilant and do everything they can to deter bears from sniffing out their food.

Here's how to bearproof your home according to CPW:

• Don’t feed bears, and don’t put out food for other wildlife that attracts bears. 
• Be responsible about trash and bird feeders.
• Burn food off barbeque grills and clean after each use.
• Keep all bear-accessible windows and doors closed and locked, including home, garage and vehicle doors.
• Don’t leave food, trash, coolers, air fresheners or anything that smells in your vehicle.
• Pick fruit before it ripens, and clean up fallen fruit.
• Talk to your neighbors about doing their part to be bear responsible.

Here's how to bearproof vehicles and campsites:

• Lock your doors when you’re away from home and at night.
• Keep the bottom floor windows of your house closed when you’re not at home.
• Do not keep food in your vehicle; roll up windows and lock the doors of your vehicles.
• When car-camping, secure all food and coolers in a locked vehicle.
• Keep a clean camp, whether you’re in a campground or in the backcountry.
• When camping in the backcountry, hang food 100 feet or more from the campsite; don’t bring any food into your tent.
• Cook food well away from your tent; wash dishes thoroughly.