Colorado Park and Wildlife Responds to Another Longmont Bear Sighting

On July 18, Longmont Public Safety warned Longmont citizens on social media to avoid the area of 100 Year Party Ct. due to a bear spotted in the neighborhood. Hundreds of Facebook users reacted to the post.

Because the situation involved a wild animal, city officials called in Colorado Parks and Wildlife to help address the situation. This is at least the second time in less than one month that Colorado Parks and Wildlife have responded to the presence of a bear in a Longmont neighborhood.

According to Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s Northeast Region Public Information Officer Kara Van Hoose, Boulder County has seen normal to slower bear activity so far this year. “The frequency of bears is common,” she explained. “Longmont is in bear country and does have some good bear habitat.”

Van Hoose said that the bear came down from a tree in the area after sunset, which is typical behavior for bears. “They will wait until activity on the ground dies down before descending,” she said. “That's the main reason we ask people to stay away from bears in trees in neighborhoods, and less human activity below them decreases the chance for a human-bear encounter. Once it came out of the tree, CPW officers hazed it out of the area.”

Van Hoose said that it is likely not the same bear from the one seen earlier this month in the area of Hover Street and Third Avenue.

Bears come into neighborhoods looking for food, Van Hoose said, and this bear was most likely attracted to the area by trash left out or bird feeders. “We can help reduce the number of bears in places they shouldn't be by keeping trash secured, locking car doors, and taking down bird feeders,” she said.

Bear sightings and conflicts in Longmont should be reported to Colorado Parks and Wildlife so that the department can provide the education and tools necessary to deal with the situation.