Colorado
Bears, mountain lions and moose showing up in Northern Colorado cities
Encountering wildlife: Do you know what to do?
From bears to mountain lions, find out what you can do to keep everyone safe.
Holly Engelman/The Coloradoan, Wochit
Black bears, mountain lions, moose and elk have all been seen in Fort Collins, Windsor, Wellington, Loveland and Greeley in late summer and early fall, prompting some on social media to wonder why they are seeing wildlife in urban settings.
Despite the frequent social media posts about wildlife sightings in the area, Brandon Muller, Colorado Parks and Wildlife assistant area wildlife manager for Fort Collins, said it’s been business as usual.
“From our perspective, nothing has been out of normal,” he said.
He said the agency doesn’t believe wildfires west and northwest of Fort Collins are why residents are seeing wildlife in urban areas.
Muller said bears typically come into cities and towns this time of year to feast on apples and other food up to 20 hours a day, putting on weight, called hyperphagia, as they fatten up for winter.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife said in a news release that more than half of bear incident reports in 2023 occurred in August, September and October.
Moose have been seen on the east and west side of Fort Collins in recent weeks. Muller said moose are known to do “walkabouts” — wandering about until eventually heading back to the mountains, which he said the agency believes the moose seen in the area are doing now.
In July, the state wildlife agency captured a moose near Wellington and returned it to the mountains west of Fort Collins. It was one of three in the area at the time.
He said mountain lions have been seen in the north Fort Collins area and Wellington. One also was seen in northwest Loveland. He said wildlife uses the Poudre River and irrigation canals to travel.
“Mountain lions like deer and there are a lot of deer in the area, so that’s why sometimes people see them in or close to town,” he said.
Elk have been seen on the west side of Loveland, and a recent social media post showed some near Thompson Valley High School on the city’s southwest side. Muller said there is a resident elk population in that area.
He said if people see bears, mountain lions and moose, the agency recommends they report the sightings so the agency can keep track of them.
The wildlife agency’s Fort Collins office number is 970-472-4300.
He said reporting sightings doesn’t necessarily mean the wildlife is a threat, resulting in the agency trapping and removing it.
“We will not touch every animal that comes into town but will usually check out the reports to determine the situation,” he said. “If a bear is aggressive, we don’t want any person to be injured by a bear or if wildlife is around a busy intersection, we don’t want to work an animal that could cause harm to it or anybody.”
His best advice is to report the sighting and enjoy the wildlife from afar so as not to stress the animal.
“They are still wild animals and you never can predict their behavior,” he said.
How homeowners can prevent bears from becoming a nuisance
Here are tips from Colorado Parks and Wildlife:
- If you have fruit trees, don’t allow the fruit to rot on the ground.
- Keep garbage in a well-secured location. Only put out garbage on the morning of pickup.
- Use ammonia to clean garbage cans regularly to keep them free of food odors.
- Keep garage doors closed and car doors locked.
- Don’t leave pet food or stock feed outside.
- Use a bear-resistant trash can or dumpster.
- Bird feeders are a major source of bear/human conflicts. It is recommended not to hang bird feeders from April 15 to Nov. 15.
- If you see a bear, haze it by yelling at it, throwing things at it and making loud noises to scare it off.
- Clean your grill after each use, and clean up thoroughly after cookouts.
Colorado
Colorado mother says Lakewood crash killed son, left 2 of her children critically injured as driver is arrested
A mother is grieving after a crash in the Denver metro area last weekend left her son brain-dead and two of her other children fighting for their lives.
Lakewood police say 22-year-old Andrew Logan Miller has been arrested in connection with the crash, which happened Dec. 6 around 7:30 p.m. near Kipling Parkway and West 6th Avenue.
Police say Miller was driving an SUV southbound on Kipling Parkway at a high rate of speed when it collided with a bus carrying a wrestling team from Central High School, which is located in Grand Junction in Mesa County.
Sixteen people were taken to hospitals.
Among the injured were three siblings who were riding inside the SUV.
On Friday, their mother, Suleyma Gonzalez, identified them as Julio Gonzalez, 18, Analelly Gonzalez, 17, and Christopher Gonzalez, 14.
Analelly and Christopher remain in critical condition. Julio will never wake up.
“I didn’t want to believe it, until they had to do the second testing where they didn’t find blood going through his brain,” she said. “My other two are in comas.”
Gonzalez said doctors ultimately declared Julio brain-dead.
She describes her children as disciplined students and ROTC members with plans for the future.
“Two of my kids were going to graduate this year,” she said. “No drugs. No alcohol. They were good kids.”
Gonzalez confirmed that Miller, who was driving the SUV at the time of the crash, was her daughter’s boyfriend.
“I know he loved my daughter,” she said. “I don’t think he did this on purpose or intentionally. It was an accident.”
Police say the investigation is ongoing, but believe speed played a major role in the crash.
Miller was arrested Wednesday night and is facing multiple charges, including:
• Vehicular assault (7 counts)
• Speeding 40 mph or more over the limit
• Reckless driving
• Child abuse (2 counts)
• Reckless endangerment
“My kids know when you get in somebody’s car, there’s always a risk. Always,” she said.
Julio’s organs will be donated. He’s on life support, while the hospital searches for matches.
“He wanted to give to the world,” she said. “Now that I can’t get him back, we want to give life to somebody else.”
Miller is currently being held in the Denver County Jail and is awaiting transfer to the Jefferson County Jail. His bond and court appearance have not yet been announced.
Lakewood police say the investigation remains active.
Gonzalez, a single mother of five, says her focus now is on her surviving children and getting clarity.
“I just want answers.”
DENVER, Colo. (KKTV) – The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division announced Thursday a lawsuit against the Colorado Secretary of State for failure to produce state voter information.
Secretary of State Jena Griswold claims the DOJ sent a “broad” request for the voter registration rolls on May 12.
Griswold says her office complied with the request and “shared the publicly available data consistent with applicable law.” However, the lawsuit against Griswold says that her office did not respond to the letter.
Griswold sent a letter in November signed by several Secretaries of State to the DOJ and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) requesting clarification on how the data would be used, but she claims neither replied to the questions in the letter.
The lawsuit goes on to allege that DOJ attorney Eric Neff followed up by emailing Secretary Griswold on Dec. 1, requesting Colorado’s Statewide Voter Registration list.
Griswold said this request asked the office to share unredacted voter data, including a voter’s full name, date of birth, residential address, and complete state driver’s license number or the last four digits of their Social Security number.
Griswold responded by email on Dec. 3, stating, “We received your request. We will not be producing unredacted voter files or signing the MOU,” the complaint alleges.
The lawsuit cites the Civil Rights Act, which gives the United States Attorney General the power to demand the production, inspection, and analysis of the statewide voter registration lists.
The DOJ is requesting a judge to declare that Griswold violated the Civil Rights Act and to order her to provide the current electronic copy of Colorado’s statewide voter registration list.
Griswold’s office released the following statement:
The DOJ released the following statement regarding the lawsuit:
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