Like a kid up past their bedtime, a bear refuses to go to sleep in Colorado. See it
Like a kid up past their bedtime, a bear is refusing to go into hibernation in a small Colorado town.
The bear was spotted hanging around the town of Niwot much later into the winter than is normal for the species, evading “its natural inclination to go into torpor during winter” as soon as it’s cold enough and food becomes scarce, Colorado Parks and Wildlife said on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“Wait why isn’t this bear asleep?” the agency said in the Jan. 23 post. “They’re supposed to be in their dens snoozing away, right?”
If it hasn’t gotten cold enough and they can still find food, “some bears don’t go to sleep right away or at all,” officials said. “It’s also why we need to stay vigilant with our trash year-round.”
Photos and video shows the bear hanging out in treetops and peeking out from within hollowed-out tree trunks.
“This bear in Niwot is a good candidate for relocation away from food sources so it has a better chance to fall asleep,” officials said.
Wildlife officers waited for the bear to come down from its perch to tranquilize it, then covered its eyes to keep it calm in case it woke up early, videos show.
“Now the best part: the release!” officials said. “We place the bear in good bear habitat, hoping the incoming colder weather and lack of food sources will spur the bear into torpor.”
Videos show officers releasing the bear, which rushes off toward the wilderness as they fire paintball rounds in that direction “to reinforce that natural fear and uncomfortable feeling around humans” and keep it running off.
“Great spot to nap!” someone said in the comments under the videos.
Niwot is about a 40-mile drive north of Denver.
