Doorbell camera captures hungry Colorado bear looking for a snack

One Colorado household had an unexpected guest show up for a visit in the middle of the night.

Todd Mitchem, a homeowner in Evergreen, shared a video captured by his doorbell camera showing a bear lumbering up to his doorstep on Oct. 3. The bear gets so close to the camera that its breath fogs up the lens, and it can be heard breathing.

The bear continues to sniff around Mitchem’s doorway, even putting its face up to the door handle, before turning around and leaving the front porch. The bear can be seen lingering in Mitchem’s driveway for a moment before walking off into the night.

Mitchem told Fox 31 that he had actually crossed paths with this bear before. There are two or three bears that frequent the neighborhood, and he sees this particular one about once a week.

“Everyone here is used to coexisting with nature,” he told Fox 31. “You learn to stay out of the way. It’s nothing abnormal.”

Still, he takes precautions to safeguard his household against bears and other wildlife. Mountain lions and elk have also been known to appear in the neighborhood, Mitchem said.

“It would be shocking if I opened the door at three in the morning to take the dogs out and the bear was there,” he told Fox 31. “Once the sun goes down, things get interesting.”

Bear sightings in neighborhoods may be on the rise at this time of year, as bears are preparing for hibernation. Before bears settle in for the winter — a process they go through in order to conserve energy when food is scarce — they first experience hyperphagia, or “excessive eating and drinking to prepare for hibernation,” according to the North American Bear Center.

People who live in bear country may unintentionally serve as great resources for hungry bears looking for food, according to Ashley Sanchez, a public information officer for the Nevada Department of Wildlife. Some of the resources humans might provide include fruit trees, garbage, green grass, and water sources, Sanchez told Carson Now.

“Any attractants that are not secured become a food reward, which not only causes the bear to return to that area for future visits, but also shows them it’s okay to approach humans for food,” Sanchez said.

People who live in areas with bears can take various measures to bear-proof their homes. Some of those precautions include keeping trash in a well-secured location, not leaving pet food or stock feed outside, keeping garage doors closed, and not feeding other wildlife, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife.

This story was originally published October 11, 2021 at 7:42 PM with the headline "Doorbell camera captures hungry Colorado bear looking for a snack."