Keeping the bears at bay

By U.S. Air Force Academy Public Affairs, Oct. 3, 2018

U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. — The bears on base might not be as concerned about daylight saving time as you are, but that’s because they have far better things to do.

Like eat.

That’s right. The bears living on or near the Air Force Academy are out-and-about looking for food before they hibernate for the winter.

Here’s a few things base residents can do to keep the bears at bay.

— Close and latch the lids to your animal-proof dumpsters or trash receptacles

— Keep your trash in the garage until trash pick-up day if you live in base housing but don’t have animal-proof trash receptacles. If a bear is awake, it’s foraging. That’s what bears do. They tend to return to areas where they’ve found food unless the source is eliminated.

— Bears tend to look for their first post-hibernation meal in the last spot they fed.

— Bear activity is expected to be prevalent this fall due to the last year’s late freeze which decreased the berries and nuts bears eat.

— Don’t leave bird feed, pet food, barbeque grills or anything outside your home that could attract bears.

Call 719- 867-9675 to report an animal-proof trash container in need of repair in Pine or Douglass valley housing areas; 719-333-2790 if you have a non-housing area bear-proof container that needs repair; 719-333-200 if there is an immediate bear problem or threat; and 719-333-3308 to report other bear encounters.

Learn more about wildlife at the Academy.