Watch out for bears … on the highway.

Colorado ranks No. 6 in the country for auto/bear collisions, according to State Farm Insurance.

The company reports it had claims for 116 auto/bear collisions in Colorado in 2020 and 2021, out of 2,350 nationwide claims for the company and an estimated 13,687 claims for the insurance industry nationwide.

According to State Farm, California leads the pack, with 323 accidents, followed by Virginia, 190; Pennsylvania, 181; Minnesota, 134; and North Carolina, 130.

Most bear/human encounters are the result of bears getting into trash while seeking food, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife.

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The agency, as well as many cities and towns, are trying to reduce negative interactions with bears by recommending or requiring the use of bear-proof trash containers, removing bird feeders and keeping garages closed to exclude curious bears. Bears have a very good sense of smell and have been known to open unlocked car doors to ransack vehicles for goodies.

“We all share many of the same spaces and all need to move safely,” Jason Clay, spokesman for Colorado Parks and Wildlife, said in a statement. “CPW and CDOT are working together to address wildlife-vehicle collisions in Colorado. Communities can do their part by not attracting bears into towns by securing their trash, taking down bird feeders and securing all other human-provided attractants.”

The agency estimates that there are between 17,000 and 20,000 bears, with a stable and growing population.

Black bear is the only species of bear in the state, although their colors may vary from black to cinnamon.

The last known grizzly bear in Colorado was killed by archery hunter Ed Wiseman on Sept. 23, 1979, in the San Juan Wilderness south of Pagosa Springs. Wiseman was seriously mauled by the bear, but managed to fatally stab it with one of his arrows.

In 2019, a new system to help track and quantify bear activity and conflicts was launched, says the agency.

“Since its implementation on April 1, 2019, the agency has recorded 14,013 reports of sightings and conflicts with bears, of which nearly ⅓ are traced back to bears getting into trash,” according to the Colorado Parks and Wildlife website.

The agency received 3,701 reports of sightings and conflicts with bears in 2021.

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People seem to enjoy watching bears and the agency struggles with the perception that if a bear encounter is reported, it means the offending bear will be put down.

In 2021, 66 bears were euthanized and 51 were relocated, according to the agency.

“Data shows that of the 14,013 reports wildlife managers have received on bears in the last three years, only 2.3 percent of those led to euthanization,” according to the agency’s website.