A female bear and two cubs visited the University Hill neighborhood on Tuesday and spent the day in a tree, before leaving some time Tuesday night.
During the late summer and early fall months, bears enter their 鈥渉yperphagia stage鈥� 鈥� a period of excessive eating to prepare for hibernation. Bears, which normally eat 8,000 calories a day, aim to consume about 20,000 calories a day during this period, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife. During this season, bears can use paths and drainage ditches to travel from the mountains into the city limits of Boulder.
It鈥檚 important that students, faculty, staff and the larger Boulder community become familiar with bear safety tips. These can be found on the . Among the tips:
- Don鈥檛 feed bears, and don鈥檛 put out food for other wildlife that attracts bears.
- Be responsible about trash and bird feeders.
- Keep all bear-accessible windows and doors closed and locked, including home, garage and vehicle doors.
- If you see a bear on campus, call 911. Stand still, stay calm and let the bear identify you and leave. Talk in a normal tone of voice. Be sure the bear has an escape route. If you see cubs, their mother is usually close by. Leave the area immediately.
File Photo courtesy of The Daily Camera