Bryan Peterson, executive director of the nonprofit BearSmart, said some of Durango\u2019s local, food-conditioned bears have learned how to break into the certified bear-resistant cans \u2013 a disturbing sign of how the animal has become accustomed to urban life.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey are chewing through them, bending the metal and getting into them,\u201d he said. \u201cThat\u2019s just a sign that we\u2019ve taught way too many bears how to do this.\u201d<\/p>\n
For a trash can to be certified as \u201cbear-resistant,\u201d it must withstand the attempts of a grizzly bear in captivity in Montana trying to break in. The ones provided by the city of Durango have done just that.<\/p>\n
\u201cBear-resistant cans have tended to work well in most cases, but we have seen more failures than we like,\u201d said Peterson. \u201cWe\u2019re having more failures than we should be.\u201d<\/p>\n
Steve Barkley, a code enforcement officer with the city of Durango, said the cans tend to work well as long as residents properly latch the lock and do not overstuff the bin.<\/p>\n
\u201cOver the years, I\u2019ve only seen one can destroyed by an extremely hungry bear,\u201d he said. \u201cBut other than that, they kick them around, jump up and down on them, but I haven\u2019t seen any gain access to the cans that were latched properly.\u201d<\/p>\n
However, Peterson said this is a growing problem. He helped one homeowner install an electric fence around their bear-resistant can to avoid more break ins.<\/p>\n
In a perfect world, Peterson said \u201cbear-proof\u201d certified cans, which are made out of metal, would be the status quo \u2013 as it is in Snowmass. In the meantime, he just hopes more residents obtain what\u2019s available.<\/p>\n
The city of Durango provides bear-resistant cans for an additional $4 per month for four years applied to the regular trash collection fee. After a wildlife encounter with trash and a courtesy notice from the city, residents are then required to lock up their trash in the bear-resistant bins.<\/p>\n