Wildlife officers respond to uncommon call after reports of bear eating another bear in Steamboat Springs

Colorado Parks and Wildlife officer Kyle Bond responded to a call at 155 Anglers Drive Wednesday afternoon after witnesses observed a bear feeding on the carcass of another bear.

“They do eat them,” Bond said. “I don’t see it often here. I’ve been here 10 years, and this is the first time I’ve had a bear in town eating another bear carcass. They’re indiscriminate omnivores and will eat what shows up. They’re opportunistic, so it’s not necessarily uncommon, but I’d say for the town it’s uncommon.”

By the time Bond arrived at the scene the bear had abandoned the food source and had hid in nearby trees and bushes. The hope was to tranquilize the bear. As a precaution, armed Steamboat Springs police officers were stationed around a permitter. Lincoln Avenue was closed briefly as personnel worked to track the bear.

However, as Bond positioned himself to shoot the bear with a dart, the animal escaped by running down the rocks of Fish Creek toward the Yampa River. The animal was eventually able to flea into nearby bushes. Bond was still working on the details following the chase.

“At the moment, all we know is there is a dead bear carcass, and this one was feeding on it,” Bond said. “With the proximity to Highway 40, it likely could have been hit by a vehicle and then died of injuries, and then this bear was scavenging of here’s a possibility that there could have been a territorial dispute, or they got in a fight and one of them then started depredating — we just don’t know yet”

Wildlife quickly removed the remains of the dead bear from the area, and Bond said Colorado Parks and Wildlife will continue to monitor the situation over the next few days.

“I don’t think there’s any urgent need for concern (for the public),” Bond said. “We’re going to remove the carcass so that we remove the food source. That was the primary concern that we had that there’s a pretty large food source immediately adjacent to where people are walking to U.S Highway 40 and a business.”

Kyle Bond, Colorado Parks and Wildlife Officer, pursues a bear on Wednesday July 29, 2026. Witnesses had called CPW after seeing the bear eating the carcass of another bear near their business. While it’s uncommon in town Bond said bears are Indiscriminate omnivores, and while rare have been known to eat other bears. The bear eventually escaped and wildlife officers removed the dead bear to eliminate the food source.John F. Russell/Steamboat Pilot & Today