KUSA - How much do you know about bears? Did you know that there are no grizzly bears (brown bears) in Colorado?
Here are a few more facts you may not know about Colorado bears:
- Black bears are a species, not a color. In Colorado many black bears are blonde, cinnamon or brown.
- Over 90 percent of a bear's natural diet is grasses, berries, fruits, nuts and plants. The rest is primarily insects and scavenged carcasses.
- Black bears are naturally shy, and very wary of people and other unfamiliar things. Their normal response to any perceived danger is to run away.
- In Colorado, most bears are active from mid-March through early November. When food sources dwindle they head for winter dens.
- With a nose that's 100 times more sensitive than ours, a bear can literally smell food five miles away.
- Bears are very smart, and have excellent memories. Once they find food, they continue coming back to that location for more.
- During late summer and early fall months bears need 20,000 calories per day to gain enough weight to hibernate through winter without food or water.
- Bears aren't naturally nocturnal, but frequently travel at night to avoid human interaction.
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