Residents and shoppers near the Park Meadows Mall in Lone Tree were witness to an unexpected scene as a bear, previously spotted near a Douglas County elementary school, found itself perched high in a tree just outside Nordstrom's. According to 9NEWS, Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials have administered a tranquilizer to the animal and are waiting for it to fall asleep before they can safely move it.
Earlier that day the solitary bear sparked a notable response including road closures, as South Metro Fire Rescue closed Park Meadows Center Drive while tracking the animal's movements and advised the public to avoid the vicinity, this event capped off a summer with numerous bear sightings in local Colorado neighborhoods, including a bear rummaging through Highlands Ranch and another found leisurely beneath a deck in Pagosa Springs, as reported by KDVR.
As encounters with wandering bears become increasingly common in residential areas, Colorado Parks and Wildlife is urging the community to actively haze these animals with loud noises using car alarms or pots and pans and by maintaining better waste management practices, with KDVR noting that bears are generally drawn into these areas in search of food and residents should secure their trash and clean their grills to avoid unwanted furry visitors.
