Bear spotted in downtown Golden

DENVER (KDVR) — A bear was spotted hanging out in a tree in historic downtown Golden on Tuesday and Wednesday, prompting an alert by the city.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife told FOX31 that the department scared the bear away from civilization and back into the wild sometime Wednesday.

The bear had been in the downtown area for around two days but had not shown any aggression toward humans or pets.

Residents in the area of Mesa Drive and Joseph Circle were advised to give the bear some space and secure any outdoor trash or food sources.

Photos taken from a drone showed the bear, which appeared to be between 1 and 2 years old, lying on a tree in that area. Bears are active from around mid-March to early November when food sources deplete and hibernation begins.

The number of human-bear conflicts has dropped in the last few years, with 15% fewer interactions in 2023 than in 2022. Of the 3,526 human-bear conflicts last year, just over half resulted in property damage of some sort.