Looks like area bears are getting more active. Please stay safe!
“A Sedalia woman got a midnight surprise when, awakened by a sound in the night, she found a bear in her kitchen.
The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office got the call in the early morning hours of Oct. 1, with a report from a woman on the 4000 block of Woods Road who was home alone with her children when she heard someone in the house. The residence is off of Highway 105, south of Sedalia.
At around 12:30 a.m., she entered her living room to find the back door of the house open, said Jennifer Churchill, Colorado Parks and Wildlife spokeswoman. Thinking it was her husband coming home for the night, she closed the door and turned around to see an adult black bear in her kitchen. The woman sought shelter in another room and realized she had trapped the bear in her house, Churchill said.
The woman re-entered the main area of the house and threw a shoe at the bear, causing it to rear on its hind legs. She opened the back door to allow the bear to escape and returned to her hiding spot.
The bear eventually left the house and wildlife officials set traps outside the house in hopes of catching it. The traps were removed after three nights to avoid trapping the wrong animal, Churchill said.
“It’s that time of year when bears are more active,” Churchill said. “We urge people to take precautions to prevent bear encounters.”
The incident came days after the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office issued a warning to residents about increased bear activity as bears prepare for their winter hibernation. The bear intrusion happened the same day bears were spotted at several Douglas County locations.
Over the Oct. 1 weekend, a bear was reported in the area of Choctaw Circle, also in Sedalia, said Sgt. Ron Hanavan, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office public information officer, and residents in the Charter Oaks and Beverly Hills neighborhoods in Castle Pines spotted a large adult black bear walking on public roadways.
The sheriff’s office received several reports of bear sightings during the month of September, Hanavan said.
“A large portion of Douglas County is a rural environment and is inhabited by bears,” he said in a Sept. 29 news release to promote bear safety. “They are looking for a source of easy food to fatten up for their winter nap. Bears can smell odors up to five miles away so keeping odors down or concealed is a benefit.”
The sheriff’s office recommends the following tips to bear-proof private property.
Do not feed bears or leave food out for bears.
Do not leave trash outside overnight unless it is in a bear proof container.
Keep your garage door closed when you are not outside if you keep trash or any other food storage in the garage.
Do not leave food in your car.”
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