(COLORADO SPRINGS) — Two local families found that their homes had been ransacked by a bear recently, and Colorado Parks and Wildlife Southeast Region (CPW SE Region) is reminding the community how to stay safe.

CPW SE Region reported on Thursday, Aug. 8, via X (formerly known as Twitter), that a bear outside a Colorado Springs community cost Carol Rice, her family, and her neighbors two garage doors recently. Now, CPW SE Region is warning individuals that habituating bears — those who lose their natural fear of people — are dangerous.

Rice and her neighbors discovered this when a bear broke through two of her and a neighbor’s garage doors.

The pictures above show the damage done by the bear to Rice’s neighbor’s home. The habituated bear broke through the garage door, leaving the place ransacked.

Bears are naturally afraid of humans, they avoid people and homes purposely unless they learn to view humans as a source of food. CPW says once this happens, bears become aggressive and potentially dangerous. They will try to open or rip open doors and windows to get food. CPW says this is not natural bear behavior.

“Once a bear learns to enter a garage or home, it becomes an immediate threat to human health and safety,” said CPW.

The video below shows how the bear was able to enter the garage.

The neighbor’s garage wasn’t all that was damaged; the bear also took ahold of Rice’s grill. CPW said bears have powerful noses and are extremely strong animals.

CPW states that they have a nose that’s 100 times more sensitive than those of humans and they can smell food five miles away.

As shown in the video below, the bear grabbed Rice’s grill and dragged it across her lawn.

“We urge everyone to bring in bird feeders each evening, secure garbage, pet food, and other attractants away from animals,” said CPW. “Clean your barbecue grills after each use.”

Colorado is bear country and as a bear-heavy community, individuals must be bear-responsible and learn how to cohabitate with bears. CPW suggests bearproofing your home with these tips:

Don’t feed bears, and don’t put out food for other wildlife that attracts bears.

Be responsible about trash and bird feeders.

Burn food off barbeque grills and clean after each use.

Keep all bear-accessible windows and doors closed and locked, including home, garage, and vehicle doors.

Don’t leave food, trash, coolers, air fresheners, or anything with a scent in your vehicle.

Pick fruit before it ripens, and clean up fallen fruit.

Talk to your neighbors about doing their part to be bear responsible.

“Help CPW prevent bears from becoming habituated,” CPW SE Region reminded the community. “Be Bear Aware. Remember, garbage kills bears!”

Most of what people throw away smells like food to a hungry bear and eventually, they may learn that garbage equals food. When that happens, bears may sometimes come inside homes looking for more. If a bear comes near your home, do your best to haze it away. Yell, activate the alarm on your vehicle, or make other loud noises, but never approach a bear or corner them.

For more information about living with bears and bear-proofing your home, click on the link above.