Douglas County warns of increased bear activity amid dry conditions
Bear sightings spread from Castlewood Canyon to Roxborough Village as one animal got into a home and Douglas County urged residents to lock down attractants.
Douglas County officials warned residents to lock down trash, bird feeders, pet food and grills after a string of bear sightings spread from Castlewood Canyon to Roxborough Village. One bear was reported getting into a home and causing damage inside, a sign that the problem had moved well beyond a roadside nuisance and into neighborhoods where food left outside can turn a wildlife encounter into a safety issue.
The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office warned on June 5 that multiple bears had been reported across the county, including in Highlands Ranch, Roxborough, Larkspur and Castle Pines. A cub was also reported hanging around the visitor center at Roxborough State Park on June 4, underscoring how close the animals were coming to homes, parks and public gathering places.
Wildlife officials said the conditions driving the activity were setting up a longer season of conflict. Colorado Parks and Wildlife said black bears emerge from dens in spring and stay active through summer and into fall as they build weight for winter, and that odors from unsecured trash, bird feeders, pet food and grills can draw bears from long distances. John Livingston, a Colorado Parks and Wildlife public information officer, warned in March that warm, dry conditions and poor natural food supplies could push bears into neighborhoods. He specifically told residents not to leave bird feeders up until May, to secure trash and to keep electric fences maintained.
The drought has been severe enough to affect nearly the entire county. As of early June, Drought.gov said 96.1% of Douglas County residents were affected by drought. The county had also logged the 20th driest April on record and the 9th driest January-through-April period in 132 years, conditions that can leave bears with less natural food and more incentive to forage around people.
The problem was not limited to Douglas County. Colorado Parks and Wildlife said it had received 98 bear activity reports across 22 counties as of late April, compared with 127 reports in those same counties for all of 2025. That broad statewide pattern, combined with early spring warmth, a freeze and ongoing drought, has made this season different from a normal year and has left Douglas County neighborhoods on the front line of bear conflict.
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