Wildlife Officials Euthanize Relocated Colorado Bear

On July 8, a wandering 80-pound black bear was spotted in Northwest Fort Collins where it was eventually trapped and tagged while rummaging through trash cans. Wildlife officials then let the bear loose into the wild on Bull Mountain in Wyoming. 

This past Saturday, just about two weeks after the lost male bear was removed and relocated from the neighborhood in Fort Collins, he wandered to a home in Laramie, Wyoming. After making its way up a tree, wildlife officials were called out to the residence and were forced to euthanize the bear.

The Wyoming Game and Fish Department claim that the yearling had become conditioned to need human food, which can happen from just one experience of eating it. When that occurs, not only will they keep coming into residential areas to seek out another delicious meal, but they can also become extremely dangerous. Also, over ninety percent of human and bear conflicts result from these furry creatures being conditioned to associate food with people.

If you spot a bear in your neighborhood, you can call the Colorado Park and Wildlife department at 303-866-3437. Remember to never leave food out for bears, and if you live in an area where they are common, be sure to lock the lids of your trash cans to prevent them from getting into them.