The Golden Police Department is warning residents about a bear that’s been frequenting the historic downtown area of the city in recent days.

At the time of a May 14 announcement, the bear had been spotted in the area over the past two days, with an image included of the bear sitting in a tree.

The bear appears to be between one and two years old and hasn’t shown any signs of aggression toward people or pets.

While the bear hasn’t been aggressive, the police department is reminding locals to keep all potential food sources, including trash, locked and secure.

At last report, local wildlife officials were monitoring the situation.

While bear attacks are rare in Colorado, they can occur. Always give Colorado’s wildlife plenty of space. Generally, this can be determined by whether or not you’re able to cover the animal with the tip of your thumb at the end of an outstretched arm. If you can’t cover the animal, you’re too close.

Also related to this situation – the failure to keep trash secure can increase the likelihood of a negative human-bear interaction or could lead to the animal being designated as a ‘nuisance.’ This can put an animal at risk of being euthanized. This is why it’s crucial to follow best practices when it comes to food storage – to prevent a bear eating something that’s potentially harmful or from doing something that could lead to its death.

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