The stories of bears breaking into garbage cans that have been left out by people has become commonplace in many mountain towns, including Lake Tahoe, Telluride, and Yellowstone. But a recent incident puts the irksome escalation in new, very sad light: Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials were forced to humanely euthanize a male black bear who was starving and in distress—but not because of a shortage of food. Instead, officials say the 400-pound bear's intestines were filled with paper towels, food wrappers, and other human waste. It gunked up his system, starving him of nutrients and strangling his intestines.
The CPW said he was euthanized on September 9 and "showed signs of infection" due to "severe intestinal blockage." The CPW said in a press release that a full necropsy was performed on the bear, showing that on top of paper products, he also had french fries, onions, and more human food blocking his intestines.
In early September, CPW had responded to a report of a possible sick or injured bear by Telluride's river trail. CPW officers watched the bear's behavior while Telluride Marshall's officers kept him away from people enjoying the river. The bear appeared "feverish and had puffy eyes." It also had discharge coming from its mouth and eyes. Officials determined that the bear had severe abdominal pain.
The bear was well-known in the area, and law enforcement had to haze it away from populated areas before. While hazing had been effective in the past, it did not work on the 9th. The bear even bluff-charged an officer. Officers determined that euthanizing the bear was the best option to prevent more suffering and for the public's safety.
"The bear could not digest food and was very sick," CPW Area Wildlife Manager Rachel Sralla said.
A necropsy was performed the following day, giving CPW officers a full picture of the bear's condition.
"The removal of the stomach and intestines showed that the bear was starving due to a plug of paper towels, disinfectant wipes, napkins, parts of plastic sacks, and wax paper food wrappers in the pylorus," CPW District Wildlife Manager Mark Caddy said, referring to the opening from the stomach into the small intestine. "This plug was accompanied by french fries, green beans, onions, and peanuts."
Sralla said that residents, businesses, and visitors need to secure trash in order to avoid incidents with bears in the future. So far, the CPW has responded to 37 human-bear conflicts in San Miguel County.
"We need the community to follow that ordinance to be a better neighbor to our bears and prevent this type of incident from happening again," Sralla said.
Unfortunately for this bear, it's too late, but following Leave No Trace principles and utilizing secure trash cans could save other bear's lives in the future.
READ MORE: Bear Caught Hanging From Second-Story Window of Colorado Home Has Been Euthanized
