Bear, you stay there!

As I was walking on the Canon City Riverwalk close to 8 pm tonight my dog Chase alerted that he heard something in the vegetation just off the trail. Thinking it was maybe a squirrel or even a racoon--surprise, when I looked I was a little confused as I thought it was a bear but it looked like it had a blond overcoat on. This is the first 'blond' black bear I have seen (they do come in a number of colors).
As it sunk it that I was only about 25-30 feet away from the bear (it was behind trees as shown in last pic) I got a few pics (this is what happens when I leave my camera in the car, these are cellphone pics) and started to walk away. As I did the bear started to come out from behind the trees which concerned me so I walked backwards so I could watch it. It kept looking a me as I looked it. When it came further I ordered (in a gruff voice as I would a dog) "Bear, you stay there." Fortunately as it came it further it became clear it just wanted to go the other way on the trail I just came on.
While not my first experience afoot with a bear it was the closest I have been so it gave me a good shot of adrenaline. If your enjoy bears I got some video a few years back of a momma bear and 3 cubs on our Riverwalk: https://birdsandnature.blogspot.com/2011/07/black-bear-momma-with-3-cubs-chow-time.html?m=1 and https://birdsandnature.blogspot.com/2011/07/black-bear-with-3-cubs-grabbing-bite-as.html?m=1 SeEtta

Comments

Unknown said…
How awesome! I have never seen a bear on the riverwalk here. Maybe I am just choosing the wrong times. Or the wrong part of the riverwalk. Great pictures even though they are cell phone pics.
Chas S. Clifton said…
The "blond" coloration is last year's coat being shed, I think. Sometimes they look just like Siamese cats in the early summer.

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