In light of bear sighting, remember safety guidelines
Posted
Ruth Heide
ALAMOSA — Alamosa Police Department received reports of a bear seen in the area of the river dike and Fourth St., between Alamosa Ave. and La Veta Ave. Tuesday night, and Colorado Parks & Wildlife Officer James Romero said he received one call about a bear in the area of Lincoln Street.
Romero said his understanding was that the bear was just moving through the area and not causing any threat to area residents. If a bear is posing a danger or threat, Parks & Wildlife will respond and address the problem, he added.
He reminded the public of these simple precautions provided by Parks & Wildlife:
Keep garbage in a well-secured location;
Only put out garbage on the morning of pickup.
Clean garbage cans regularly to keep them odor free.
Use a bear-resistant trash can or dumpster.
If you don't have secure storage, put items that might become smelly into the freezer until trash day.
Don't leave pet food or stock feed outside.
Bird feeders are a major source of bear/human conflicts. Attract birds naturally with flowers and water baths. Do not hang bird feeders from April 15 to Nov. 15.
If you must have bird feeders: clean up beneath them every day, bring them in at night, and hang them high so that they're completely inaccessible to bears.
Do not attract other wildlife by feeding them, such as deer, turkeys or small mammals.
Don’t allow bears to become comfortable around your house. If you see one, yell at them, throw things at them, and make noise to scare them off.
Secure compost piles. Bears are attracted to the scent of rotting food -- and they'll eat anything.
Bears have good memories and will return to places they’ve found food.
Allow grills to burn for a couple of minutes after cooking to burn off grease and to eliminate odors. Clean the grill after each use.
Clean up thoroughly after picnics in the yard or on the deck. Don't allow food odors to linger.
If you have fruit trees, pick fruit before it gets too ripe. Don't allow fruit to rot on the ground.
Keep garage doors closed.
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 after you’ve eaten.
Keep a clean camp, whether you’re in a campground or in the back-country.
When camping in the back-country, hang food 100 feet or more from campsite; don’t bring any food into your tent
Cook food well away from your tent; wash dishes thoroughly.
Talk to your neighbors and kids about being bear aware.
If you keep small livestock, keep animals in a fully covered enclosure that is electrified. Don’t stock store food outside, keep enclosures clean to minimize odors, hang rags soaked in ammonia and/or Pine-Sol around the enclosure.
If you have bee hives, install electric fencing where allowed.
For more information go to the Living with Wildlife section on the Colorado Parks and Wildlife web site: cpw.state.co.us.
Residents who are concerned that a bear poses a threat may contact Parks & Wildlife at 719-587-6900 or the Alamosa Police Department through dispatch at 719-589-5807.