A Small Black Bear Caught Enjoying Time in a Colorado Lake

'Tis the season. The bears have awakened from their winter slumber and are anxious to stretch their legs and eat. Although, when they see the potential snow this weekend, they may just go back to their dens and sleep for a few more days at least.

Just look at this mama and her cubs according to a commenter on the Loveland Police Department's Facebook page:

So while the bears are waking up, hungry, thirsty, and ready to frolic and have some fun, we humans need to do our part not to bother them or try to get too close both for our safety and the bear's safety.

Get our free mobile app

If you see a bear, keep your distance, do NOT feed them under any circumstance, and contact your local authorities as soon as possible.

It's also important to store your trash responsibly because bears will want to nose around and look for your scraps because after all, one person's trash is another person's (or bear's) treasure.

We are in their territory so we need to be as responsible as possible and in case you need a crash course in bear safety, our friends at Colorado Parks and Wildlife are here to help.