Older sow walks 46 miles back to Steamboat to den, give birth

An older black bear sow, now known by ear tag 1036, was determined to make her way back home to Steamboat Springs.

After being relocated in September to near the Wyoming border, she walked some 46 miles back to Steamboat to den and then give birth to three cubs this spring.

That sow, thought to be a longtime local bear in her late teens based on her teeth condition, was found Sept. 1 inside an improperly closed dumpster at the Shadow Run condo complex off of Whistler Road, according to Christy Bubenheim with Colorado Parks and Wildlife in Steamboat.

Although the dumpster was a bear-resistant style with a metal lid, the slider on the lid was not closed by users. The older bear climbed inside seeking a caloric meal but could not get out on her own, Bubenheim said. CPW officers tranquilized, wrapped in a tarp and lifted the sow out of the dumpster using a winch on a CPW pickup. The bear was examined and affixed with red ear tags.

Read more at SteamboatPilot.com.

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