The summer of 2009 will be remembered as one of the worst summers in history for human bear conflicts in Aspen, Colorado. Not a day goes by without news of a bear; wandering, caught, or destroyed. Black bears, commonly found in the adjacent national forests, are now a common site in this town. They have become a tourist attraction, a concern for locals, and a nuisance for local law enforcement officials. Every time a bear is spotted in a tree, or milling in a park, a group gathers, and the police and Division of Wildlife are called. It’s a vicious cycle, predicated by a lack of natural food sources in the wild, a generation of garbage-dependent bears, and human carelessness.
Why Bears Eat Garbage
The Aspen area, with its cool temperatures, mountains, streams, variety of vegetation types including bear staples such as serviceberry, chokecherry and acorns, is prime black bear habitat. During years when late frosts devastate berry crops, or extremely hot and dry conditions kill off the acorn crop, bears must search elsewhere for food sources. The first place they start is in town. In some cases, bears lose their appetite for and knowledge of natural food entirely. It becomes particularly cumbersome when cubs learn to dumpster dive soon after they emerge from their dens in early spring. This year, unusually wet and cold spring conditions hampered berry development, forcing the bears out of their natural habitat.
Bear Attacks
Throughout the summer, the Aspen Police Department has been overwhelmed with 911 calls about bears. In August alone, the police received over 225 calls. During the week of August 21-28, there were 98 bear alerts, many of which were calls about bears breaking into homes through doors or windows. In August, a bear wandered into an upscale downtown fur shop. In another case, a bear entered a home and attacked a woman. In yet another case, a woman, napping on her patio, awoke with a pain in her leg only to discover a bear standing nearby that had obviously bitten or scratched her.
Bear Control
Typically, the police try to track and scare off nuisance bears, using their car sirens and bright side lights to move the bears out of high human activity areas. In some cases, officers shoot small Kevlar beanbags at the bears that are meant to hurt them, but cause no injury. The Division of Wildlife (DOW) has a two strikes policy. The first time a bear is caught, it is tagged and hauled away. Bears, however, have a strong instinct to return to the place where they find food and it usually does not take very long for a previously caught bear to return to the same location again. If a bear is caught a second time, it is destroyed.
Reducing Human and Bear ConflictsIn nearby Snowmass Village, bear problems have not been as severe this summer. Tougher ordinances, strict enforcement and proactive citizens have reduced the number of bear and human contacts. "Bear Aware" residents educate their neighbors about ways in which to store their garbage and lock their homes, helping to keep the bears in their native habitats where they belong. Other tactics suggest scaring the bears to the point that they are uncomfortable in town.
The interface between wilderness and urban centers is disintegrating at a rapid rate. At the same time, environmental forces are creating changes in habitat and natural systems. It remains to be seen if the proactive actions of humans can make an impact on the habits of the survival instincts of wild animals.
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