CPW relocates bear that wandered through Lone Tree to Park Meadows mall

The Thin

• What’s it about? A bear that wandered from Acres Green to Park Meadows was relocated to better bear habitat on Monday.
• Why it is important: As the population in the Front Range grows, interactions between humans and animals are increasing.
• What we promise: We asked Colorado Parks & Wildlife about the bear’s journey, how common bear sightings are in the metro area — and what you need to know to help conserve wild bears.

Colorado Parks & Wildlife officials worked to tranquilize and relocate a bear that traveled more than a mile through Lone Tree to the Park Meadows shopping center on Monday.

Over the course of four and a half hours, the black bear made its way from a residential area in Acres Green to a tree on Park Meadows Center Drive, crossing under C-470. Crews from CPW, South Metro Fire-Rescue and Lone Tree Police assisted with the final rescue, which involved tranquilizing and relocating the bear.

The bear’s journey was partially documented on social media by first responders on site.

• RAW VIDEO: Watch first responders rescue bear from tree near Park Meadows mall

Raw Video: CPW and first responders rescue bear from tree near Park Meadows

After the first sighting – near Acres Green Drive and Maximus Drive, very close to the Acres Green Elementary School campus – Denver7 reached out to CPW for their opinion.

According to Kara Van Hoose, the agency’s Northeast spokesperson, it’s not uncommon for bears to enter the subway. In fact, this bear did “exactly what (CPW) wants him to do” on Monday morning, as he was reported to have moved outside in Lone Tree just over an hour after he was first spotted in Acres Green.

Things changed when the bear diverted its route to Park Meadows, the popular shopping center near the intersection of I-25 and C-470.

“After the bear crossed C-470 and climbed a tree, we decided to intervene and move it to greener areas that are better habitat for bears,” Van Hoose said. “This bear got stuck in a spot where it needed help to get to a better spot, which is why we decided to relocate it.”

The rescue effort took about 35 minutes, South Metro Fire-Rescue told Denver7. Park Meadows Center Drive has reopened after being closed during the rescue effort.

Are bear sightings increasing in the Denver metropolitan area?

Bear sightings have been reported in most or all of the metropolitan area’s counties in the past, Van Hoose said. And while there is no discernible year-to-year trend, it’s safe to say that bear sightings in the city have become more frequent over time — but that’s not the bears’ fault.

“We’re definitely seeing more bears, and that’s because we’re opening up new areas,” she said. “People are living in areas where there are already bears, so of course you’re seeing more bears.”

She added that the introduction of doorbell cameras and other outdoor surveillance systems has also increased the visibility of bears and other wildlife that were likely already there but not seen before.

• Hear more from Kara Van Hoose about bear sightings on the subway in the video player below:

Are bear sightings increasing in the Denver metropolitan area? We asked CPW

Conserving bears in the wild: what you need to know

If you live in Douglas County – or Jefferson, Arapahoe or Adams County – you are in bear territory, Van Hoose said, “and you have a responsibility to help conserve bears in the wild. That’s not just CPW’s responsibility, it’s everyone’s responsibility.”

Bears prefer lush places like forests. The only reason a bear would be visible in a residential or urban area would be if it was attracted by the smell of garbage or food, she said.

CPW lists several simple things people in bear areas can do to ensure bears do not become a problem in their neighborhood:

• Keep an eye on your garbage. Only put it out on the day it is collected
• Keep the windows of your house, garage and car closed
• Do not leave pet food outside
• Clean your grill after use
• Remove birdhouses
• Pick fruit before it is ripe and clear away fallen fruit.
• Do not leave food or other scented items in your car

If you see a bear, you should leave it alone. But you can, as CPW calls it, “harass” it by making noises that make it agitated. This can include things like blaring an air horn, yelling, or clanging pots and pans.
While it’s not uncommon to see bears in urban areas, it’s better for the bears if that doesn’t happen to us, Van Hoose says.

“The best case scenario is that you never see a bear in your neighborhood, because then the bears are doing what they are naturally meant to do: eating things that are available in the wild and looking for natural food sources,” she said.

• For more information from CPW about living with bears in Colorado, see the following brochure: