Wildlife officials say bear confrontations up

Posted: 07.25.2011 at 2:48 PM

Bears like this one have been seen more often in 2011. / FOX21: file photo

COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. (AP) -- Colorado wildlife officials say they have received a higher than normal number of calls about bears this summer.

People have reported bears entering homes, garages, sheds, tents and chicken coops.

Wildlife officials killed a bear that injured a teenage camper in his tent July 15 near Leadville. The bear had apparently ransacked a cooler outside a tent prior to the incident.

Wildlife manager Cory Chick says bears are foraging because this has been a below average, dry year for natural food for bears, including green vegetation and bugs.