Memorial Day Office Closure
Colorado Parks and Wildlife offices will be closed for the state holiday, Monday, May 25. To honor military members for their service CPW offers active duty military and veteran benefits to enjoy fishing, hunting and state parks.
A deer resting in tall grass beneath leafless trees
Living with Wildlife
As cities throughout Colorado grow, new or expanding subdivisions can impact wildlife habitat. Wild animals are often displaced by development. Some species are able to live in nearby open spaces, parks, undeveloped parcels of land, river bottoms and on or near bodies of water. Others have adapted well to urban living; skunks and raccoons, for example, seem to thrive in and near cities.
As Colorado’s population expands and the desire for outdoor recreation increases, the proximity of humans to natural habitats can disrupt wildlife.
In most situations, though, people and wildlife can easily coexist. The key is to respect the wildness of wildlife. Wildlife is just that — wild. Most dangerous encounters occur because people fail to leave the animals alone. Wildlife should not be harassed, captured, kept or fed. Intentional or inadvertent feeding is the major cause of most wildlife conflict; it’s illegal to feed deer, bighorn sheep, mountain goats, pronghorn and elk in Colorado.
Be Prepared to Cross Paths with Wildlife
If you have concerns about an encounter with wildlife:
What Do I Do if I See an Animal?
What if an Animal Becomes Aggressive?
There are three kinds of rattlesnakes in Colorado. Learn more about the behavior of the:
Rattlesnakes are usually very forgiving — they give us every opportunity to stay away before they resort to a venomous bite in self-defense. They don’t chase people; on the contrary, they use their camouflage to avoid being seen and, if unable to hide or slither away, use their rattle as a warning signal. But unfortunately, some people get too close without knowing; some accidentally step on a snake or, worse, choose to provoke the snake, resulting in a bite.
To prevent snakebites, knowing what to do is equally important as knowing what not to do.
Understanding the biology and behavior of rattlesnakes can go a long way toward reducing unwanted encounters. Rattlesnakes are creatures of habit and often bask, hunt, migrate and den in the same areas year after year. Here are some ways to prepare for hiking in rattlesnake country:
Though usually not fatal, a rattlesnake bite can nevertheless be very painful, and it should always be considered a medical emergency.
Rattlesnake venom can be cytotoxic, meaning it destroys the muscle and soft tissues around the bite. Occasionally, the venom can also be hemotoxic, meaning it increases the chance of bleeding. In prey animals, the venom not only subdues the animal but starts digesting it, even before the snake begins swallowing. The same thing happens when a snake bites a person — the tissues around the bite are digested, and the damage can be extensive.
If you are bitten by a snake, call 911 immediately.
A person may relocate a rattlesnake for the safety of the animal or people:
When you may relocate a rattlesnake:
If you capture the rattlesnake on property you own or lease, you may relocate it:
Living with Wildlife
