Black bear eats bread at Aspen farmers market before being chased off
In short
A black bear walked into a farmers market in downtown Aspen, Colorado, on Sept 26 and ate bread and pastries from vendors’ stalls while bystanders filmed. Police drove the bear away, and it climbed a nearby tree and later left; Asia Economy reported no one was hurt. Wildlife officials said the bear was in its pre-hibernation feeding period, and reports cited a record drought that has cut its natural food supply.
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A black bear walked into a farmers market in downtown Aspen, Colorado, on Sept 26 while vendors were setting up and ate bread and pastries from the stalls, according to reports from The Guardian and other foreign outlets cited by CBS NoCut News and Asia Economy. Asia Economy and Electronic Times reported that the bear stood on its hind legs to reach bread and pastries on the tables and at one point climbed onto a table to get closer to the food. Bystanders took out their phones to take photographs and video. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Police at the scene drove the bear away from people and food until wildlife officials arrived, and the bear climbed a nearby tree and later left, Asia Economy reported, adding that witnesses said it napped in the tree. CBS NoCut News reported that an officer used non-lethal rubber bullets to keep the bear from approaching people, a detail the other two outlets did not mention. Asia Economy reported that no one was injured. [ 1 , 2 ]
Joy Livingston, a spokesperson for Colorado Parks and Wildlife, told the Denver Post that the bear first appeared while vendors were setting up their stalls, according to CBS NoCut News. Asia Economy and Electronic Times also cited a wildlife official as saying the bear appeared during market preparations. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Authorities said the timing fell in the bears’ pre-hibernation period, when they feed intensively. CBS NoCut News and Asia Economy cited CPW as saying about 20,000 American black bears live in Colorado, and that in September and October the animals may search for food for up to 20 hours a day to take in more than 20,000 calories. Both outlets cited The Guardian’s report that a record drought had reduced the bears’ food supply, bringing hungrier bears into contact with people more often. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Video of the bear spread online. CBS NoCut News reported that a user on X posted a clip on Sept 30, and that foreign commenters joked about the pastry, said the bear appeared to be a market regular and suggested it might win next year’s “fat bear week” contest at Katmai National Park. Electronic Times noted the incident drew attention after NBC News and The Guardian reported it. [ 1 , 3 ]
Why it matters
The reports frame the incident as part of a pattern in Colorado: when drought reduces wild food, bears in their pre-hibernation feeding period come into populated areas more often, and encounters with people increase. For readers outside the region it is a curiosity rather than an event with direct consequences, and the documents describe no regulatory or policy response.
Key facts
- A black bear appeared at a farmers market in downtown Aspen, Colorado, on Sept 26 and ate bread and pastries from the stalls. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Bystanders took out their phones to photograph and film the bear, and the video spread online. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Police drove the bear away from people and food; it climbed a tree and later left the scene. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Asia Economy reported that no one was injured. [ 2 ]
- Colorado Parks and Wildlife spokesperson Joy Livingston told the Denver Post the bear first appeared while vendors were setting up their stalls. [ 1 ]
- CPW says about 20,000 American black bears live in Colorado. [ 1 , 2 ]
- September and October are the bears’ pre-hibernation period, when they may forage up to 20 hours a day and eat more than 20,000 calories. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Reports cited a record drought that has reduced the bears’ natural food and increased encounters with people. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- A black bear appeared at the farmers market in downtown Aspen, Colorado, on Sept 26 and ate bread and pastries from the stalls. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The bear first appeared while vendors were setting up, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Officers drove the bear away from people and food, and it climbed a tree and later left the scene. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- An official said the incident fell in the bears’ pre-hibernation feeding period. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- CPW says about 20,000 American black bears live in Colorado, and that in September and October they can forage up to 20 hours a day and take in more than 20,000 calories. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Foreign media reports cited a record drought that reduced the bears’ natural food and increased encounters with people. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Still unclear
- What happened to the bear after it left the market. The documents say only that it climbed a tree and left; none reports whether it was relocated or later returned.
- Whether police used non-lethal rubber bullets to drive the bear off. Only CBS NoCut News mentions rubber bullets; Asia Economy and Electronic Times say officers simply chased the bear away.
- How much food was eaten or how many stalls were affected. No document gives quantities or the value of the food taken.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- A black bear appears at the downtown Aspen farmers market while vendors are setting up, eats bread and pastries from the stalls and is driven off by police before climbing a tree and leaving. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- A user on X posts video of the bear eating at the market. [ 1 ]
- The Guardian and other foreign outlets report the incident, according to CBS NoCut News and Electronic Times. [ 1 , 3 ]