5 Wildlife Officers Relocate 400-Pound Massive Black Bear From Colorado Home Deck to Suitable Habitat

A large black bear that was discovered beneath a deck in a Durango, Colorado home has been removed. The roughly 400-pound large black bear had to be removed from the property by five wildlife officers using a tranquilizer dart. The furry giant has now been moved to a new location with a suitable habitat.

John Livingston, Colorado's Department of Natural Resources spokesperson, said that the bear might not be specifically considering making the space beneath this deck to be its winter den.

Livingston continued to say that this was the largest bear they had ever encountered in the town, according to the team of wildlife officers who arrived at the scene. Bears all over the country are preparing to hibernate for the winter after a month of gorging on whatever food they can find.

Livingston pointed out that at this time of year, bears are on the search for a good, suitable den site to get through the winter.

Livingston explained in an interview with Newsweek that due to its location on the back of the house, this deck offered good protection from the weather elements. Additionally, there were apple trees close by that would serve as a temporary source of food.

Bear Sightings in US Residential Areas

Recent years have seen an increase in bear sightings across the US, with many reports coming from populated areas.

According to Livingston, 4,009 reports of bear activity have been made to Colorado Parks and Wildlife this year.

An explanation of the increase in reports was provided by Dana Wilson, a spokesperson for Wildlife SOS, a conservation group. According to Wilson, traditional bear habitats are being used more frequently by people for living and recreation, and wild areas are getting smaller. Bears lose their fear of humans as they become accustomed to them.

In a statement Wilson gave to Newsweek, he said that wild animals have evolved to survive and thrive in urban areas. However, because people are also dangerous animals, most wildlife prefers to avoid them.

Proper Bear Habitat

The team of five extracted the bear from beneath the deck, gave it a quick medical checkup, and administered a reversal medication to counteract the side effects of the tranquilizer.

To prevent the bear from developing any plans to remain in this residential area, Livingston and his team opted to relocate it.

In an article published by Berthoud Weekly Surveyor, bears are said to forage for 20 hours a day during this season to cope with the 20,000 calories per day that they need for hibernating. In this essence, the proper bear habitat should have such resources available to the furry giants.

Because some bears in Colorado get used to living in neighborhoods, the sound of traffic or other human activity may not always be a sufficient deterrent to drive these animals away.

Livingston pointed out that if these bears cannot find enough naturally occurring food sources, such as chokecherries, acorns, and berries, in the wild, they will begin to frequent populated areas more frequently. They may come across unsecured trash, fruit that has fallen to the ground, chicken feed, beehives, and bird feed in the town.

Bear-Free Homes

Livingston said that homeowners can take quick actions to reduce the chance that a bear will enter their property.

He said that in addition to picking up fruit that has fallen to the ground and removing attractants such as bird feeders, beehives, and trash that bears can smell from great distances and use to enter towns, they try to educate more people as much as they can about how to secure the trash they generate. House Logic agrees with this concept, adding grills and compost to their list.

People should always give these animals their space and keep in mind that these bears are wild animals that have the potential to bite. A person should immediately contact their local wildlife office to report a bear that is near their home. By banging on pots, activating their car alarm, shouting, or making noise, people can also try to scare the bear off their property.

Livingston also said that no one wants a bear or any wild animal to be comfortable around their home, so make the bear feel uncomfortable being there, Newsweek reports.