Be Bear Aware

Black Bears at a Glance

• This information is from:   https://cpw.state.co.us/learn/Pages/LivingwithWildlifeWildBears.aspx
• Black is a species, not a color. In Colorado, many black bears are blonde, cinnamon, or brown.
• With their bulky fur coats, bears can look bigger than they are. Males average 275 lbs.; females average 175 lbs.
• Over 90% of a bear’s natural diet is grasses, berries, fruits, nuts and plants. The rest is primarily insects and scavenged carcasses.
• Black bears are very wary of people and other unfamiliar things. Their normal response to any per­ceived danger is to run away or climb a tree.
• Most Colorado 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 great memories – once they find food, they come back for more.
• During late summer and early fall bears need 20,000 calories a day to gain enough fat to survive the winter without eating or drinking.
• Bears are not naturally nocturnal, but sometimes travel at night in hopes of avoiding humans.

Living with Bears Resources

Living with Bears: A Practical Guide to Bea​r Country
Colorado is fortunate to have Linda Masterson, author of Living with Bears: A Practical Guide to Bear Country as one of our Bear Aware team volunteers. Please visit site​ for more information about this book and how to live responsibly in bear country.

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