Moment Large Colorado Bear Is Evicted From Den It Dug Under Locals House

This footage shows wildlife officers in Colorado 'evicting' a bear from under a local's house after it apparently decided it was a good spot to build a den and hibernate.

The incident took place in the town of Nederland, which is located in Boulder County in the US state of Colorado.

The bear had apparently dug under the foundation of the house to make itself a nice warm den for winter.

Colorado is home to a large number of black bears that look for places in October and November where they can hibernate. Females will then usually give birth in January to one or two cubs.

The footage shows an unnamed wildlife officer, in jeans and wearing a cap while armed with a shotgun, pouring a liquid, later revealed to be ammonia, over the entrance to the bear's 'den', to flush it out while saying "I've got this".

The officer then carefully backs away from the entrance to the hole before the bear's head can be seen emerging from it a few seconds later.

Someone can be heard shouting "Go!" and the large bear promptly runs off in the opposite direction.

Footage shot from a different angle shows the bear making its hasty escape while people can be heard repeatedly shouting "Go!" at it to encourage it to leave.

The footage was shared online by Colorado Parks and Wildlife on 4th November and the agency said: "Wildlife officers got a call from a [Nederland] resident of a bear that was trying to den-up under their house.

"It had dug a hole under their foundation. Wildlife officer Sam Peterson hazed the bear away by using some ammonia before securing the hole so the bear could not return."

Bears in Colorado tend to look for places to hunker down for the winter in early November, according to the Colorado Parks and Wildlife service.

The bears in Colorado, which have noses that are 100 times more sensitive than those belonging to humans and which can smell food over five miles away from their location, tend to do this when their sources of food diminish.

It is because their noses are so sensitive that ammonia is so effective as a deterrent against bears.

The Colorado Parks and Wildlife service says in one of its educational documents: "If you find bleach or ammonia fumes unpleasant, you can imagine what they smell like to a bear.

"Bleach or ammonia based cleaners are good for trash cans and other areas where strong scents could attract bears. Some people have had some success with covered buckets or other containers filled with bleach or ammonia, with holes punched in the lids to let the scent out, placed outside bear-accessible doors and windows.

"Bears also dislike the strong scent of pine-based cleaners, but avoid using anything with a fresh, lemony or fruity smell. And never mix bleach and ammonia; the combination produces fumes that can be deadly to both people and bears."

@CPW_NE/NF/Joe Golder