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Hungry Bears Flood U.S. West Towns · GNN Daily Breaking News

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  Speaker 1: Wildlife officials across the American West are reporting an unprecedented
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  Speaker 1: surge in black bear encounters, with hungry animals breaking into homes, shops,
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  Speaker 1: and even schools in record numbers. The spike is being
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  Speaker 1: blamed on one of the driest winters in memory, which
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  Speaker 1: wiped out natural food sources and forced bears to seek
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  Speaker 1: human food. Colorado has logged more than 7,000 bear sightings
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  Speaker 1: this year, the highest ever recorded. surpassing the previous peak
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  Speaker 1: in 2019. At least six attacks have been reported, while
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  Speaker 1: hundreds of bears have been euthanized after repeated conflicts with humans.
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  Speaker 1: In New Mexico, 187 bears have been killed, the most
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  Speaker 1: since 2011, and Utah has already set a record with
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  Speaker 1: 39 bears euthanized in 2026. The incidents range from startling
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  Speaker 1: to surreal. In Granby, Colorado, Two cubs entered a roofer's
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  Speaker 1: home while he was inside, later wandering into a vape shop.
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  Speaker 1: In Santa Fe, bears were spotted near a school, while
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  Speaker 1: in Denver one climbed a tree near a farmer's market,
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  Speaker 1: sending crowds scattering. In Colorado Springs, CCTV captured a bear
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  Speaker 1: sneaking into a fire station and walking out with an object.
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  Speaker 1: Experts say the crisis stems from a collapse in natural
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  Speaker 1: food supplies. Bears typically rely on grasses, berries, nuts, and
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  Speaker 1: insects for 90% of their diet. But drought conditions have
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  Speaker 1: left landscapes barren, pushing animals into towns. With their powerful
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  Speaker 1: sense of smell, bears are drawn to garbage, kitchens, and shops,
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  Speaker 1: and once habituated to human food, they may stop hibernating altogether.
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  Speaker 1: Colorado's black bear population, estimated at 17,000 to 20,000, is
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  Speaker 1: among the healthiest of the world's eight bear species. But
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  Speaker 1: wildlife managers warn that climate stress and urban expansion into
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  Speaker 1: bear habitats are testing both animals and humans in ways
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  Speaker 1: never seen before. It's like testing the bears in a
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  Speaker 1: way they've never been tested before and testing humans, said
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  Speaker 1: bear expert John Beckman. Officials urge residents to secure garbage
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  Speaker 1: in bear-proof containers, remove attractants like pet food and bird feeders,
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  Speaker 1: and avoid feeding wildlife. About 1.5 to 2% of encounters
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  Speaker 1: end in euthanization, when bears are deemed dangerous, a figure
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  Speaker 1: that could rise if conflicts continue. As Western erudification deepens,
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  Speaker 1: experts caution that bear incursions into human spaces may become
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  Speaker 1: the new normal. The combination of climate change, growing bear populations,
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  Speaker 1: and expanding human settlements means encounters and conflicts are likely
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  Speaker 1: to rise in coming years.