Aspen's nuisance bear calls up 1,200% in 4 years

In 2008, the Aspen (Colo.) Police Department dealt with 82 calls regarding problem  black bears. The figure swelled to 351 calls in 2010 and 1,040 last year, refelcting a nearly 1,200 percent increase over the four-year period. “The bears took up a huge amount of time and resources,” Aspen Police Chief Richard Pryor said. “At the same time, we felt we really had good cooperation from the community, and people did try to make a difference in their habits in terms of trash and using the right containers." Aspen Times.