Hungry bears may venture further into neighborhoods in search of food this year as the drought depletes their natural dining hall, but so far the animals\u2019 activity is normal for this time of year, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife.<\/p>\n
Arvada police officials warned residents earlier this week<\/a> that the city had seen an uptick in bear sightings, and at least one bear has been spotted wandering from yard to yard in Wheat Ridge<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n Still, it\u2019s likely too early to connect those sightings to the ongoing drought, Colorado Parks and Wildlife Public Information Officer Kara Van Hoose said.<\/p>\n Colorado wildlife officials have seen an influx of bear sighting reports this month, but the numbers are fairly close to this time last year, Van Hoose said. Beyond the mountains, bear sightings are common in Jefferson, Douglas, Adams and Arapahoe counties, she said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe live at this confluence of open space and development,\u201d Van Hoose said. \u201cBears use open space, and if it\u2019s next to a neighborhood that has trash sitting out, they\u2019re going to venture into that neighborhood. \u2026 We kind of all live in bear country.\u201d<\/p>\n But drought is a concern, she said. It can affect bears\u2019 natural food sources and pull them further into the metro area as they search for a meal, she added. Another concern is the recent swings in temperatures between balmy summer weather and overnight freezes, she said.<\/p>\n \u201cBears have to eat, and they normally would be eating things like berries, cherries, nuts \u2014 things they can find in the wild,\u201d Van Hoose said. \u201cWhen you have drought that\u2019s affecting the bounty of all of these, \u2026 the easiest food sources are things like human trash, bird feeders, pet food.\u201d<\/p>\n Colorado\u2019s bears start to wake up in late March or early April, and reports of sightings typically increase in May, Van Hoose said.<\/p>\n