PSA: Only You Can Stop Bears From Eating Trash

LA PLATA COUNTY, Colorado – Bears are a lot smarter than you might think, and their ability to dig through trash cans is pretty impressive. But, as the saying goes, a fed bear is a dead bear. Rocky Mountain PBS had a nice chat with Clarence Dotson, La Plata County Bear Resource Officer, who explained why it’s so important to keep bears out of trash cans and how you can do your part.

Protect your trash from bears:

According to Colorado Parks and Wildlife, to protect your trash from bears, you should lock it, use bear-resistant enclosures, freeze smelly items until trash pickup day, keep things clean, and, of course, use a bear-resistant container.

“Allowing bears to use trash and litter as a food source creates serious problems for both humans and bears. Because the food reward is so great, bears are willing to work hard to get to trash and litter, often returning in hopes of finding more. These food-conditioned bears sometimes enter homes, garages, or even vehicles in search of an easy meal. Bears looking for such a source of calories can cause a lot of property damage and even become aggressive. Allowing bears to scavenge through trash is a leading cause of human-bear conflict. By handling and storing your trash wisely, you can protect your home and property and help keep bears alive and in the wild.”