More bears in Colorado are getting into human trash, causing conflict

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KKCO) - Colorado Parks and Wildlife reports that more Coloradans are dealing with bears digging through their trash.

Nearly one third of reported bear-human conflicts are caused by bears getting into people’s trash.

CPW says that it has seen a 16 percent increase in bear reports from 2021, after launching a new bear reporting system in 2019.

Since the system was launched, CPW has recorded over 18 thousand bear sightings and conflicts. Officials say that the data helps them track bears across the state.

Just last year, Colorado Governor Jared Polis signed House Bill 21-1326 into law. The bill is intended to reduce human-bear interactions.

CPW reports that bears attempting to get into trash continues to be the leading cause of conflict between humans and bears.

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