FORT COLLINS, Colo. — A black bear is back in her natural habitat after making her way to the heart of the Colorado State University campus Friday.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) said in a release that residents were reporting a bear walking around Old Town Fort Collins at around 6 a.m.
CPW officers started monitoring the area and received another call around 7:30 a.m. about a bear on the CSU campus.
They arrived to find a young sow bear weighing about 200 pounds up in a tree in the Oval, an area of campus known for its giant elm trees.
Officers tranquilized the bear, lowered her from the tree, and released her back into the wild.
The bear was OK other than being exhausted, according to CPW.
“As bears start to prepare for hibernation and hunt for food, Coloradans may see more bear activity in urban areas,” said CPW Assistant Area Wildlife Manager Brandon Muller. “When bears become too comfortable around humans, they can destroy property or even become a threat to human safety."
CPW said black bears in Colorado are entering hyperphagia and will spend up to 20 hours a day trying to eat more than 20,000 calories to fatten up for winter. Coloradans are urged to do their part to be "bear aware" and properly store all their trash and lock windows and doors that are accessible to bears.
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