A Colorado campground announced that it was banning tents and other similar shelters after a scary incident involving a black bear and two children. Moving forward, the campground in Colorado's White River National Forest won't allow the shelters.
The tent ban is an attempt to keep people safe from wildlife. This comes after a black bear swiped at and scratched a tent with two young kids inside. Difficult Campground made the difficult decision to ban tents moving forward.
The black bear swiped at the tent on June 9, leaving puncture marks on the outside. Fortunately, the animal didn't get inside the tent to the children inside.
"The next morning, they were like, 'Hey, mom, a bear was here,'" one of the campground hosts told the Aspen Times. "The kids were totally fine. They were a little freaked out, but they still went hiking later with their parents. They were not traumatized."
Black Bear Causes Tent Ban At Campground
"The bear did not get into the tent; it was curious about it, and then wandered off," the host said. "Nobody was hurt. Nothing was destroyed."
Campground hosts have made the difficult decision to remove all tent campers from the campground. They offered current campers refunds or the ability to relocate to another site. In total, they had to relocate 20 tents from the campground. It may seem like drastic measures. But the campsite experienced similar issues last years with a black bear or two at the camp.
"This is not our home, this is their home," the host said. "They were here first. We are guests here." The tent ban will remain in place for the foreseeable future.
That being said, hard-sided campers and trailers are still allowed at the campsite. Campers will just have to be careful of any potential black bears in the area. Keep food away from them.
"Keeping bears from getting your food keeps you safe, keeps your neighboring campers and the campers who follow you safe, and helps keep the bears safe," deputy district ranger Jennifer Schuller said in the announcement.
