With bears coming out of hibernation, the community can expect to see increased bear activity in
Boulder. Community members may encounter black bears from time to time, as Boulder is home
to sensitive wildlife habitats where bars and other wildlife species, including mountain lions,
find food and shelter.
If community members see bears inside the city, do not follow them or disturb them. Call the city’s non-emergency dispatch number at 303-441-3333. If you see bears on open space, follow
the tips from Open Space and Mountain Parks website at the end of this article.
Community members are encouraged to help protect bears by ensuring trash containers are
locked, because bears that come into town for food and find it are more likely to stay. If they
stay, bears are at risk of being killed for a number of reasons, including being hit by
vehicles, being electrocuted by power poles, ingesting harmful chemicals and losing their natural
fear of people, which may result in euthanizing by wildlife officers.
To help protect bears, the city requires bear-resistant trash containers west of Broadway and
south of Sumac Avenue. Bear-resistant containers are required everywhere in the city if trash and
compost are put out the night before pickup. With increased bear activity reported east of
Broadway in recent years, community members in this area are also encouraged to use bear-
resistant trash and compost containers, store their waste in an enclosed garage or shed and
contact their waste hauler for bear-resistant trash and compost containers if they don’t have
them.
Community members should also be aware that livestock, fruit trees and bird feeders can attract
bears. In the past few years there has been an increase in the number of goats preyed on by
bears. Keep goats, chickens and bees in secure, protected locations. Hummingbird feeders are
also easily accessible and calorically rich for bears, and it is recommended to remove bird
feeders while bears are active. Learn more at bouldercolorado.gov/black-bears-and-mountain-
lions.
