Caught on camera: Bears spotted in Castle Pines after emerging from hibernation
CASTLE PINES, Colo, (KDVR) — Bears coming out of hibernation in search of food are a reminder of just how close some of our communities are to nature and its creatures.
A Castle Pines homeowner learned this first-hand when he spotted two bears on his property. FOX31 Reporter Kasia Kerridge's dad sent in a video of the bears in his backyard Saturday night around 8:30 p.m.
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It's not uncommon for Jeff Kerridge and his German shepherd Hira to spot wildlife in their neighborhood where they have lived for the last five years.
'One time I saw a mountain lion right here in my driveway on my camera in the middle of the night,' he said. 'The coyotes are here as well, so it's really like a zoo out here.'
As Jeff was watching a game Saturday night he got a notification on his phone that shocked him.
'I kind of glanced down and I looked and I'm like I could tell it wasn't a deer. I could tell it was a bear,' he said. 'I got up and walked to the dining room window and I could see them out there.'
His surveillance captured two large bears. One started climbing a tree before they worked their way around climbing up his stairs, onto his deck to get to his bird feeders.
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'These are paw prints from them. They are definitely not from me,' said Jeff.
After capturing the video he sent it to his daughter, FOX31's Kasia Kerridge.
'I was a little surprised because bears out of hibernation are pretty skinny,' she said.
Normally you would find Hira sitting on the deck where the bears were spotted.
'It was getting a little late so I actually brought her in,' said Jeff. 'It was a good thing she wasn't out there.'
While Jeff is used to seeing wildlife he said it was a first for him to see bears in close proximity.
'I've seen the bears every once in a while crossing the street over there,' he said. 'It was pretty crazy, I've never seen them that close to me before. I never felt like really threatened it was just it kind of happened so quickly. I didn't feel like I needed to take cover or anything like that ever. They turned around and left. It was definitely kind of strange and a little unnerving right at first.'
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He said that keeping your distance and making sure your doors are locked helps avoid human-bear conflict.
'I'm glad the gate door was closed. Had the gate been opened and they kind of walked out on the deck that would have been more unnerving,' he said.
Kerridge plans to take precautions in the future to be bear-aware and prepare his home.
'This time of the year as they come out of hibernation, I think I'm going to pull those bird feeders down,' said Kerridge. 'I'll pull them down at night now before I go to bed to just make sure they are not out.'
Colorado Parks and Wildlife said there are some things you can do to bear-proof your home.
You can start by using a bear-resistant trash can or dumpster and taking down your bird feeders. The agency has many more tips on its website to keep you bear aware.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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