Colorado's drought is sending hungry bears on the move
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Drought is driving record bear activity in Colorado. Photo: Joe Giddens/PA Images via Getty Images
Colorado is seeing a surge in bear activity, with reports on pace for a record year, according to wildlife officials.
Why it matters: Bears are having a rough year. Record-low snowpack, drought and wildfires have made food harder to find as they need to bulk up for hibernation.
By the numbers: Colorado Parks and Wildlife received 6,129 reports of bear sightings and conflicts through Aug. 13 — nearly double the 3,115 at the same point last year.
- That's already more than the 5,299 reports logged in all of 2025.
State of play: Bears will roam farther — and take bigger risks — to find enough calories.
- The stakes go beyond hunger, too. Inadequate nutrition can hurt reproduction and cub survival, especially if females head into hibernation without enough fat reserves.
Driving the news: A bear cub crashed swanky Aspen restaurant Sant Ambroeus earlier this month, scrambling over tables after wandering in a side door.
- No one was hurt, per CPW. An employee ushered the cub out after its roughly three-minute restaurant romp.
Down the road, Hickory House owner Paul Dioguardi recently told the Colorado Sun that bears typically appear a couple of times a week, drawn by the Aspen barbecue joint's smokers and trash.
What they're saying: This year's food shortage means "we are seeing bears awake constantly searching" for sustenance, CPW spokesperson John Livingston told the Sun.
The bottom line: This doesn't give Coloradans a pass to feed bears, CPW warns.
- A new law that took effect this month cracks down on people who knowingly leave out food or edible waste that attracts bears — and eliminates the required warning for first-time offenders.