A large bear broke into Full Tilt restaurant and was found the morning of Sept. 23. Those passing by the restaurant at 515 Main St. filmed the confused-looking bear standing tall and looking out the front window by a Pac-Man arcade video game machine. Photos also captured what the bear left behind — a large pile of excrement on the wooden floor.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials were called to respond to the trapped bear, but Ouray County Sheriff’s Office deputies took care of the bear before CPW officials arrived, according to John Livingston, CPW spokesman. The bear exited the restaurant and moved on, according to CPW.
Bears have had a challenging year due to drought and wildfire, as well as a late spring freeze damaging their natural food supply. Wildlife officials are reporting a record number of bear conflicts with humans, driven mostly by food attracting the bears.
As of last week, there were 10,820 bear reports across Colorado, an increase of more than 800 reports from the previous week. Here in Ouray County, officials had received 126 reports of bear problems as of last week. Last year at the same time, the number of reports was 24.
Bears have an extremely powerful sense of smell and can become habituated to humans while seeking food sources, which can include pet food, birdseed and any high-calorie food that helps them pack on weight to prepare for hibernation. Bears that break into homes or show aggression and are a threat to human safety are killed. To learn more about how to avoid conflicts with bears, visit cpw.state.co.us.