Recently, a lot of people have noticed black bears investigating the dumpsters behind their homes. Black bears are on the search for more food before they go into hibernation, and they have been making a wealth of recent appearances in Boulder. They’ll eat up to 20,000 calories a day, which is almost twice the amount that olympic swimmer Michael Phelps consumes on a daily basis. These bears are on the prowl, and they are ready to wreak some minor havoc.

via CBS

On Saturday, for example, two cubs crashed a wedding. They weren’t aggressive, but much like unwanted in-laws, they got a little too close for comfort. It was said that “the bear probably got more attention than the bride and groom,” according to a source from CBS. They were only at the wedding to infiltrate a dumpster and didn’t want anything to with the people there. It was a simple get-in and get-out mission the bears organized, but the situation was compromised by an exchange of vows. These bears were very adamant on getting to this dumpster, so they actually tried again two days after the wedding incident. The mission was unsuccessful both times.

via CBS

As citizens of Boulder, we have to accept the fact that bears are going to be hanging around for the next few weeks. We’ve moved into the bears’ territory, and the bears know that Boulder has plenty of delicious food stashed away in giant metallic dumpsters. The best thing to do is to familiarize yourself with how to deal with a bear encounter, just in case you find yourself dumpster diving next to a black bear.

via Boulder Bear Coalition

Luckily, Boulder has implemented new trash cans that are mostly bear-proof. These will go into effect on October 1st, and it’s up to the citizens of Boulder to make sure their trash cans are accurately secured. The last thing we want is an all-bears-can-eat alleyway buffet, so it’s very important that trash cans are closed correctly.

Stay safe, everyone!

Sam Skelton Chief Technology Officer