Colorado Parks & Wildlife Has Euthanized 72 Bears

Attacks, close encounters, home break-ins, and more have forced CP&W to put the animals down.

It's a tall order. Try and figure out a way for bears and humans to coexist in close proximity. Communities across Colorado are holding town halls and officials are trying to come up with ways to better manage the situation.

Bears will continue to search for food, especially this time of the year as they prepare for hibernation. Unsecured trash and disposed food waste continue to be the draw that lures bears to town. Once they're in town it's just a matter of time before there will be an encounter.

Nobody wants to see bears put down. That 72 number sounds like a lot. However, CP&W officials insist it's low in relation to the number of calls they receive. When a bear is euthanized it’s not just the bear that loses. Everyone loses a part of what makes Colorado special. There must be a better solution.

A good place to start is a copy of the "Human-Bear Conflicts" brochure. It's available for free on the Colorado Parks & Wildlife website. Click HERE to download a copy. For more information on living with bears click HERE.

Credit: The Denver Channel