Colorado has logged more than 7,000 bear sightings in 2026, topping its previous full-year record

A bear walks out holding an object after sneaking into a fire station in Colorado Springs, Colorado, US Matt Errico was sitting on the toilet in his Granby home when he heard strange sounds coming from the corridor. When he went to check, he found two young black bears, about the size of golden retrievers, standing in his hallway. After a brief staring match, the bears ran out through the front door. The incident in the small mountain town northwest of Denver is far from unusual. Black bears have also been found inside a Granby vape shop, walked past a school in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and climbed a tree near a farmers market in Denver. Colorado has recorded more than 7,000 bear sightings in 2026, already passing its previous full-year record set in 2019, according to state wildlife figures. A detailed investigation by Reuters explains how severe drought across the American West has pushed hungry bears into towns and cities in record numbers.Record drought cuts wild food suppliesThe rise in bear encounters comes after the driest winter on record. The conditions destroyed much of the natural vegetation, berries, grasses and nuts that make up about 90 per cent of a black bear’s diet. "...