Douglas County bear sightings jump 155% as drought drives wildlife closer

In July 2024, Douglas County sheriff’s deputies responded after a bear was entering garages, climbing fences and going through trash cans in a Highlands Ranch neighborhood; deputies kept residents away until Colorado Parks and Wildlife officers relocated the bear on July 9. Douglas County bear sighting reports jumped 155% from 2025, and drought is pushing bears into Highlands Ranch, Castle Rock and Parker in search of food and water. Douglas County officials again warned residents in July 2026 about a bear roaming through Highlands Ranch neighborhoods.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife recorded that trash accounted for more than 57% of human-bear conflict reports statewide in 2025. The agency received about 5,299 reports of bear sightings and conflicts that year, the highest total since 2019, when it logged 5,392 reports. About 2,450 of the 2025 reports led to property damage, including sheds, homes, garages, vehicles and fences.

Trash should be secured, kept inside a garage or behind a bear-resistant container until the morning of pickup, and never left exposed overnight. Bird feeders need to come down at night, and pet food should not sit outside. If pets must be fed outdoors, feed them in single portions and remove both the food and the bowls immediately after feeding. Garages, compost, grills and other easy food sources should also be closed off or cleaned up so a bear cannot smell them from the street.

A bear sighting becomes reportable when the animal is in a neighborhood, backyard, garage or other populated place, or when it is working through trash or lingering around homes. A bear moving through open space away from people is less urgent, but one in a place like Highlands Ranch, Roxborough or Castlewood Canyon should be treated as a public-safety call.