October 2, 2007
In the past three months two black bears have been killed in Boulder County. As hungry bears scavenge for food before winter hibernation, wildlife advocates want Boulder City Council to help prevent bear deaths. Those deaths caused wildlife advocates to ask the Boulder City Council to step up enforcement of existing trash laws and consider bear-proof trash receptacles.
"Bears can smell food in a covered trash can and they can get into a trash can, raccoons can get into there," said Rachel Mazies, an attorney and volunteer with In Defense of Animals.
City Manager Frank Bruno said the city is reviewing the wildlife issue and will make a decision by next spring or summer.
In the meantime, wildlife agencies recommend that residents follow city ordinances and put trash out after 6 a.m. the day of pick up. Furthermore, residents should clean trash cans with bleach, clear fruit from the ground, hang bird feeders high and clean hulls.
Without these measures, wildlife officials fear bears will be attracted to an easy autumn meal and form a foraging habitat in urban areas.
"Bears are coming into the city, they are habituated to garbage and they don't go back," said Wendy Keefer-Ring, director of the Carnivore Protection Program for Sinapu.
To raise awareness in the fall, the city will issue a statement and try to educate the public. Mayor Mark Ruzzin wants to continue programs like the Open Space and Mountain Parks Bear Opera preformed for University of Colorado students.
Education of students is important, agreed Rita Anderson, a researcher and investigator for In Defense of Animals, because there is accessible trash around student neighborhoods.
"There are some real issues with the Hill. Trash becomes an issue if you have more people than the trash containers can handle so you have overflowing trash...and you see it on Moorhead (Ave.) and you see it on the Hill," Anderson said.
Wildlife officials said there is no data to show where the bulk of bear incidents occur, however, they would like to see such data in the future.
If bear education efforts fail, the city may face fiscal challenges due to the cost of bear proofing the entire trash program, an effort that could cost the city millions.
"Bear proof containers cost a lot of money and we were told earlier each one cost $700," said Deirdre Butler, president of the Colorado Council for Wildlife Rehabilitation and a member of the Sierra Club.
However, residential bear containers may be found for less. One Web site http://www.bearsaver.com/ResidentialEnclosure.htm sold approved containers for $465. This Web site offered a US government discount and a discount when bins were bought in bulk. Still the cost of bear proofing trash containers is expensive.
For the immediate months of October and November when bears are on the prowl before hibernation, wildlife officials want the city to hire more enforcement officers or delegate the task to meter maids and police already on duty.
For some residents the issue is moral, one bear killed, is one too many.
"Boulder prides it self of sensitivity to wildlife issues," said Mazies, an attorney and volunteer with In Defense of Animals, "the question is how will we respond to this issue so next year no bears will be killed in Boulder and none will be lured in to meals that are turning out to be deadly?"
Links:
Sinapu
The Sierra Club
In Defense of Animals
City of Boulder, information on current trash laws and city council:
http://www.bouldercolorado.gov/
http://wildlife.state.co.us/WildlifeSpecies/LivingWithWildlife/Mammals/BearCountry.htm