Bears and Balloons
This is my favorite balloon (on the right) from last week's balloon fest in Snowmass Village:
Earlier this month, a family of bears (mom and two cubs) came into an outdoor walking mall in downtown Aspen to snack on the crabapple trees. Mother bear took a nap in a tree.....
The police and dept of wildlife taped off the area to keep people away, but after the bears were there for several days and the local businesses complaining due to lost business, they finally tranquilized the mom, captured the cubs, and transported all three to a location about 50-75 miles away. Though it is not uncommon to see bears around Aspen, these three made the front page of the newspaper for several days.
Unfortunately, bears have been coming into town more often this summer because there is a shortage of berries in the forests this year due to a late freeze last spring. Several bears have been euthanized because they have broken into homes in search of food. Also, people leave their trash cans unsecured and bears learn quickly to find food there. Repeat offenders get euthanized. (Bears, not people.)
Earlier this month, a family of bears (mom and two cubs) came into an outdoor walking mall in downtown Aspen to snack on the crabapple trees. Mother bear took a nap in a tree.....
The police and dept of wildlife taped off the area to keep people away, but after the bears were there for several days and the local businesses complaining due to lost business, they finally tranquilized the mom, captured the cubs, and transported all three to a location about 50-75 miles away. Though it is not uncommon to see bears around Aspen, these three made the front page of the newspaper for several days.
Unfortunately, bears have been coming into town more often this summer because there is a shortage of berries in the forests this year due to a late freeze last spring. Several bears have been euthanized because they have broken into homes in search of food. Also, people leave their trash cans unsecured and bears learn quickly to find food there. Repeat offenders get euthanized. (Bears, not people.)