Letter to the Editor

Dear Editor,

Niwot has bears. If you didn’t know that from personal experience, you may not be that

concerned, but it’s time to confront the fact. For our family the revelation came when my wife was checking our Ring cameras while we were on vacation.

A shock was delivered when she cried out that there was a bear on our porch! Indeed, there was, and from then on, I did not think of our porch or the surrounding property in the same

way. Whether you have had a similar experience or not, your perception of your

surroundings should be put on high alert for evidence of a bear.

One of the more disconcerting things about knowing there was a bear literally at my

front door was the fact that I would not have known had it not been for the cameras.

How many times had this happened in the past? How close had we come to

confronting one when letting the dog out or walking to take the trash around the side of

the house? The questions raise concerns and lead one to ask just what is the risk?

Good, bad or indifferent?

In safety “parlance” risk is related to exposure. The more one is exposed to a hazard,

the greater the probability that the hazard will cause injury, or worse. Now, bears are

kind of a wild card hazard, no pun intended. We don’t know if a bear is going to run or

do something that could put us at personal risk. Additionally, it isn’t necessarily a risk to

our person. Our pets, livestock, and structures could be jeopardized. So, what are we

to do to minimize these risks?

Early warning and action on suspicions is the first step to preventing escalation of bear

activity and the risk it poses. We may be used to racoons spilling trash or digging about

the flower beds, but now we should consider all nocturnal incidents as potential evidence

of bear activity. It could be that trampled landscape plants, bent over or broken fencing,

damage around doors or windows, and certainly attempts to get to trash, livestock, dog

food or bird seed are early warnings.

Report it when you see it. Tell your neighbors, notify Colorado Parks and Wildlife that you have suspicions, and block access to the attractant.

Some people may be reluctant to take early steps to report bear evidence for fear that

the bear or bears will be killed by CPW. To that point, stop and think, if you allow the

bear to continue its behavior, you raise the risk that it actually will become a “bad bear”

and must be removed.

There are very clear thresholds that are considered by wildlife officers before any bear is put down. They have a tough job to do as it is, it isn’t your job to second guess what should be done. Also, it doesn’t take much for a good bear to become a bad bear. Bears are not entertainment. Anyone who feeds or encourages the presence of a bear is creating a threat to life and property, and it’s illegal.

If you spot a bear, or have suspicions of bear activity, do not report it to animal control

or the Boulder County Sheriff, they really are not the go to for bear reports. The point

contact numbers are Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW), at 303-291-7227, between

the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. After hours call the Colorado State Patrol (CSP) at 303-239-4501.

Note that the Colorado State Patrol number is for a wildlife emergency, so, if you just saw a

bear, call CPW and leave a message. If the bear is actively causing damage or a threat

to life and property, call CSP. All calls to CPW will receive a follow-up and you will be

contacted. Report only first-person observations. If we take this seriously, we can keep

the bears out of trouble and our neighborhood a safer place.

Steven Lohr

Johnson Farm resident