The Niwot black bear (ursus niwotus)

The recent incident of a black bear attacking and killing a goat in the Dry Creek-Meadowdale subdivision area of Niwot has Niwot residents concerned. Rob Gordon, a twenty-year Niwot resident and the friendly face behind the counter at Niwot Liquor on Second Avenue, had reported in July of last year as having seen eight bears at the intersection of Second Avenue and Franklin Street.

Gordon was watering grass for the Niwot Business Association when he saw the bears. He turned to get his camera for a photo but when he turned back, the bears were gone. He also related that a bear had attacked and killed a goat recently. It is not uncommon to see bears near town as they make their appearances where and when it pleases them.

Shortly after the report of the goat killing, Wylie Butler and Bonnie Clark saw a black bear run across their front yard on Dry Creek Road at around 8 p.m. on Sept. 3, heading south. Two days later, their neighbor Susan Warren saw a black bear crossing 83rd Street near Dry Creek Road, heading toward Niwot High School.

Gael B. Lester, who also lives on Dry Creek Road, reported on Facebook that she saw a black bear on Sept. 4 in her backyard, and noted that the bear broke into her neighbor's bee hives. Many other bear sightings in and around Niwot have been reported on social media.

During late summer and early fall the bears are awake for twenty hours a day and go through a period called hyperphagia in preparation for hibernation. They need to consume 23,000 calories a day to gain additional weight.

Bears are food driven. They tend to forage along waterways, such as irrigation ditches and Dry Creek. The majority of conflicts with humans are related to food sources, such as garbage, barbecue grills, bird feeders, pet food, and crops. They also will attack domestic pets, agricultural livestock and wildlife, including deer. The bears do not truly hibernate but become lethargic and fall into a light sleep during the winter months.

A black bear is strong and can cause property damage in its search for food. Black bears can break into cars, tear open walls and have been known to fall through roofs. A male can weigh as much as 500 hundred pounds. Serious injuries to people are rare. Yet, if a bear is habituated to people and to human food sources, it can be considered a risk to people. Attacks by black bears may be predatory, defensive, or nuisance related. However, overall, black bears are shy and tend to avoid human contact.

The U.S Department of Agriculture recommends that it is important to be prepared for bear encounters. In most cases, a non-habituated, non-food conditioned black bear will avoid people whenever possible. Invading a bear's space can be a factor in an attack. Even a surprise encounter with a mother and cubs usually results in the bears running away, but as a rule, a surprise encounter should be taken very seriously.

Preparation is key, the Department says. It is best to make your presence known to the bear to avoid a surprise encounter at close range. Most of the time a black bear will leave after an encounter. It should be allowed to leave voluntarily. Preventing a bear's escape may result in injury, and bears that have chosen to leave should never be pursued.

A surprised bear may do "bluff" charges or swat at the ground with their paws. In this case, stand your ground, speak firmly, and slowly wave your hands to identify yourself as human to help encourage the bear to leave. You should be aware that a bear might make similar demonstrations for you to leave.

Confronting a bear is never advisable. People should demonstrate a willingness to leave the bear alone. Avoid eye contact. Side-step slowly away from the bear so you can watch where you are going - backing up can cause you to fall. A bear may occasionally walk towards people despite attempts to frighten or deter them. Stand your ground, wave your arms, yell and stomp your feet to encourage the bear to leave. Banging pots and pans also works unless the bear gets used to it. Always report incidents to local authorities.

Nonetheless, encounters with the Niwot black bear may always be a case of grin and bear it.