One Colorado lodge had to bear with one particularly rowdy guest with a strong craving for sweets. That’s meant in the most literal sense, as the unexpected visitor was an actual bear, and police say it helped itself to some M&Ms before leaving.
The encounter happened at Grand Timber Lodge in Breckenridge, Colorado, early Tuesday, Aug. 11. Reports state that police were called after the bear made its way inside the lodge.
When it came time to finally leave the establishment, the bear did not leave empty-handed…or empty-pawed. Police said the bear took some M&Ms. The unusual visit is now circulating online after the Town of Breckenridge Police Department shared bodycam footage showing officers responding to the lodge’s call.
Police said no people or animals were injured during the encounter, and the department used the incident to remind residents and visitors that bears are active around Breckenridge.
It’s Best Not To Be Hangry
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Bodycam footage shows the bear walking through the lodge as officers work from a distance to guide it back outside. Powder reports that one officer used the sound of a Taser in an attempt to scare the bear toward an exit rather than firing the device at the animal.
After the bear left, the footage shows an officer and lodge employee checking the area it had visited. One of the employees showed the officer the lodge’s snack storage, where the bear had gotten into the chocolate.
The encounter was unusual enough to attract national attention. FOX News shared the police bodycam footage on Aug. 16. 9News reports that Colorado is experiencing its biggest bear season on record, with drought conditions pushing bears into more residential areas. On August 14, the outlet reported 6,100 sightings since January.
When Life Gives You M&Ms, Make Public Safety Announcements
As amusing as an M&M-stealing hotel guest may sound, Breckenridge police reminded the public that encounters with bears should still be taken seriously. In its Facebook post, the department told people to “stay alert, secure food and trash, and never approach or feed a bear.”
That advice is echoed by Colorado Parks and Wildlife, which says bears that find human food can change their behavior and return to homes, trash cans and other venues where they previously found easy food. The agency advises people living or traveling in bear country to keep food and garbage protected and sealed against wildlife.
If a bear does enter an occupied area, Colorado Parks and Wildlife advises people not to corner it and to make sure the animal has an escape route. The Town of Breckenridge similarly tells people who encounter a bear to stay calm, avoid running, and let the animal leave.
In this case, that escape route worked. The bear left Grand Timber Lodge unharmed; no guests or employees were injured, and according to Breckenridge police, the worst damage appears to have been to the lodge’s candy supply.