COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Colorado has recorded more than 7,000 black bear sightings in 2026, breaking the state’s previous full-year record set in 2019 as a severe drought decimates natural food supplies in the high country.

The lack of moisture across the state has severely stunted the growth of natural forage, including berries, grasses, and acorns, which bears rely on to build fat reserves for the winter. With these resources depleted, hungry bears are increasingly descending into populated areas in search of calories, leading to a surge in property damage and dangerous encounters.

Wildlife officials anticipate that human-bear conflicts will only intensify this fall as the animals enter hyperphagia, a period of ravenous eating driven by the biological urge to consume tens of thousands of calories a day before hibernation.

The Colorado Parks and Wildlife division is urging residents across the state to secure their trash in bear-proof containers, remove bird feeders, and lock ground-level doors and windows. Authorities warn that habituated bears that lose their fear of humans and repeatedly seek food in residential areas are often euthanized to protect public safety.