Trouble-Making Colorado Bear Is Released Back Into the Wild
In Colorado Springs, Colorado Parks and Wildlife Area Wildlife Manager Frank McGee check's the tranquilized bear for signs of injury that might explain his erratic behavior.
Do you know that black bears are naturally shy? Here's black bears at a glance, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
- Black is a species, not a color. In Colorado, many black bears are blonde, cinnamon, or brown.
- With their bulky fur coats, bears can look bigger than they are. Males average 275 lbs.; females average 175 lbs.
- Over 90% of a bear’s natural diet is grasses, berries, fruits, nuts and plants. The rest is primarily insects and scavenged carcasses.
- Black bears are very wary of people and other unfamiliar things. Their normal response to any perceived danger is to run away or climb a tree.
- Most Colorado bears are active from mid-March through early November. When food sources dwindle they head for winter dens.
- With a nose that’s 100 times more sensitive than ours, a bear can literally smell food five miles away.
- Bears are very smart, and have great memories - once they find food, they come back for more.
- During late summer and early fall bears need 20,000 calories a day to gain enough fat to survive the winter without eating or drinking.
- Bears are not naturally nocturnal, but sometimes travel at night in hopes of avoiding humans.
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Front Range Colorado Mountain Lion Sightings in 2020