The Washington Post reports bear encounters rose this year in at least 15 US states. Bears enter communities, and wildlife workers sometimes kill them after conflicts. Experts link the rise largely to unusual weather affecting food sources and rebounding bear populations.
Colorado’s wildlife agency reported more than 8,600 reports of bear sightings and incidents this year, over twice last year’s total, and euthanized 294 bears, three times the 2025 figure. Colorado had 10 confirmed attacks, a record. In August, a bear killed a 67-year-old wildland firefighter inside his New Mexico home. Wyoming wildlife supervisor Dan Thompson expects bear killings by state workers to rank among the highest on record, but says this year is an anomaly, not the norm.
Experts also point to more human development in bear habitat and rising park visits. The National Park Service says visits to US parks rose from 268 million in 1994 to 331 million in 2024. Connecticut reports of bears entering homes rose from fewer than 25 annually in 2014–2020 to at least 60 in 2022, 2024 and 2026; Florida’s average annual bear complaints increased from 2,500 in 2006–2010 to more than 6,400 in 2021–2025. Attacks remain rare; recommended precautions include securing food and garbage and carrying bear spray outdoors.
