GOLDEN, Colorado — (Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office) — Jeffco Sheriff’s deputies are asking people to avoid the area of Lupine Drive in Evergreen to reduce the stress of a mother bear in a tree.
.@jeffcosheriffco says CPAW is on its way back – could try and tranquilize mother bear who’s been up in a tree for 8hrs now.
— Jennifer Kovaleski (@JennKovaleski) September 1, 2015
We are investigating the shooting of her two bear cubs earlier this morning.
Mama bear will likely not come down from the tree until the area is clear of people. This is the bear: #BearWatch pic.twitter.com/f9q7cTaLNt
— Jeffco Sheriff (@jeffcosheriffco) September 1, 2015
The incident started at approximately 5:15 a.m. today when a man was awakened by a mother bear and her two cubs going through his trash. He went outside and fired two rubber buckshot rounds from a shotgun. During that time, his dog ran out. He said he was concerned about his dog’s safety and he fired a third round, which was a live round. The live round struck the bear cubs, killing one instantly and wounding the other. The second cub was later euthanized by Colorado Parks and Wildlife. The live round also struck a nearby house.
Deputies are blocking part of Lupine Drive in Evergreen while we wait for mama bear to come down safely #BearWatch pic.twitter.com/dAKXd1BhkY
— Jeffco Sheriff (@jeffcosheriffco) September 1, 2015
Deputies are working with Jefferson County Schools regarding changes to today’s drop off locations near this incident and they will continue to be on scene to ensure safety all day.
With bear sightings being extremely common this time of year, we’d like to remind folks of some safety tips when it comes to bear encounters.
If you see a bear:
• Stay calm
• don’t run
• Talk in a low, loud voice
• Avoid direct eye contact
• Back away slowly