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While bear sightings in spring and summer aren’t unusual, its rarer to see them in the freezing cold of February. But a plumber recently discovered one hibernating in a crawl space between two cottages maintained by Boulder Community Hospital after he heard growling as he attempted to fix some frozen pipes, writes the Daily Camera. He “moved his flashlight around and saw the bear and made a hasty retreat,” a hospital spokesman says. Colorado wildlife officials frightened the bear by lowering a radio into the crawl space and cranking up some country music. It worked—and the bear is on its way to a better hibernation spot.
Bear scares in Greenwood Village have become so frequent that a local Homestead Suites keeps bear repellent on hand. But it caused more harm than good recently after a guest accidentally discharged the can, causing the evacuation of 40 customers, some complaining of watery eyes, trouble breathing, and other respiratory issues, notes the Denver Post. Wondering what, exactly, bear repellent is? Highly concentrated pepper spray.