For Immediate Release
July 5, 2012

Contact: Jaime Walker
Community Relations Officer
Town of Avon
970-748-4087
jwalker@avon.org

Town of Avon Reminds Citizens to Take Precautions to Protect Wildlife

Avon, CO—With summer in full-swing, black bears have become very active in the region. Avon is in the heart of bear country and residents and guests alike should be aware and take precautions to avoid human / wildlife interaction. The Avon Police Department would like to remind the public about the Wildlife Protection Ordinance.

It is against Town ordinance to intentionally or unintentionally feed wildlife. Everyone needs to be conscientious about the wildlife ordinance within the Town of Avon. Bear proof/resistant containers may be placed curbside 6:00 a.m. the day before trash pick-up, and brought back inside by the end of trash pick-up day. Non-bear proof/resistant container may be placed curbside 6:00 a.m. the day of trash pick-up; the container must be re-secured in an appropriate manner and taken off the street by the end of the same day as pick-up. Feeding wildlife is prohibited, meaning that any garbage, refuse or food matter cannot be left out; for example, food products, pet food, grain or salt.

In addition, between the dates of April 15 and November 15, all bird feeders must be suspended on a cable or other device so they are inaccessible to bears and the area below the feeder must be kept free from the accumulation of seed debris.

Bears become active in mid-march and are hungry after their winter hibernation. With a nose that’s 100 times more sensitive than humans, a bear can smell food five miles away. Their natural diet is grasses, berries, fruits, nuts and plants, but will resort to persistent scavenging when they find an easy human-provided food source.

The public is advised to take precautions by keeping doors and windows closed and locked; remove tree limbs that might provide access by a climbing bear to upper level decks and windows; get rid of wildlife attractants like bird feeders and dog food; burn food off from barbeque grills and clean the grill after each use, and don’t leave food, trash, coolers, or air fresheners outdoors or in your vehicle. It is also recommended that dogs and cats be kept indoors unless the pet owner is with their pet outside.

The Avon Police Department should be contacted if a bear is in a trash can, is in close proximity to a house, is near children, or appears to be a threat to domestic animals. For more information, contact the Avon Police Department at 970-748-4040.

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