Bear Checks Out Downtown Breckenridge
Young Cub Takes Tour Of Shopping Area, Returns To Forest
BRECKENRIDGE, Colo. -- A young black bear wandered into the
downtown area, and it appeared that no one was more scared than the
animal itself.
The bear meandered through parking lots, past Main Street shops
and then up Ski Hill Road before retreating to the safety of the
woods Tuesday afternoon.
"I was driving down Park going to First Bank and the thing came
shooting out in front of me," said Breckenridge resident Joe
Hicks. "It was like five feet away. I barely missed it. It was
very scared."
Police said they were worried that the bear's mother might be
nearby, but she never showed up. Officials said the bear was not in
danger and there were no efforts to get in its way.
"We usually just try to monitor it so something bad doesn't
happen," Sgt. Roman Stachniw said. "We stay in the general area
and let it go where it wants to go. Bears usually have a good idea
of where they want to go."
The Colorado Department of Wildlife says there are between 8,000
and 12,000 black bears in the state.
Previous Stories:
Additional Resources:- May 21, 2001: The Bears Are Back In Town
- April 30, 2001: Bears Coming Out Of Hibernation
- April 2, 2001: Watch Out For Bears, Wildlife Officials Warn
Copyright 2002 by TheDenverChannel.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
