Mama bear inherited thieving way from mother

Fairplay: A black bear has been raiding residences in Park County, and wildlife officers say she might be the daughter of the "coffee creamer bear" that was shot and killed two years ago for ransacking more than 30 dwellings in search of her favorite treat.

"A sow with three cubs is breaking into trailers using the same M.O. as the coffee creamer bear that also had three cubs," Division of Wildlife spokesman Todd Malmsbury said Tuesday.

The coffee creamer bear started raiding cabins and trailers east of Como, a small town 60 miles southwest of Denver.

In 1999 she was responsible for 30 break-ins, sometimes tearing off doors, overturning refrigerators, ripping cupboards from walls and ransacking the contents in search of the powdered creamer.

Wildlife officials trapped and shot her in September 2000.

"At first I was angry at her for not staying out of trouble. Then I got mad at the people here for refusing to clean up their trash, hummingbird feeders, dog food and barbecue grills that attracted her," district wildlife officer Mark Lamb said.

Lamb thinks the bear might have taught her habit to three cubs, one of which might be on the rampage now with her own three cubs. Wildlife officers haven't decided how to handle them.

Bears that are trapped and removed from populated areas are tagged, and if they have to be captured a second time, they are killed.

Wildlife officials are concerned about a black bear that has been following joggers and hikers near Chautauqua Park in Boulder.

"This is pretty obviously an animal that has been fed by people and is habituated," Division of Wildlife area manager Mark Leslie said.
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AP story from the Gazette

The Mama Bear referred to above made a couple raids on Grant M's camper and trailer causing some serious damage. I guess the moral of this story must be: the way the bears are proliferating and trained by their mothers you better not have coffee creamer packets in your camper or you might have an unwanted visitor. Grants cabin is a short distance from the Stagestop Bar and Restaurant.