Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) has euthanized 72 bears so far this year, and while that number is shocking people are mostly to blame.

Home break-ins and rummaging through unsecured trash has increased the number of bear encounters.

Lately, bears rummaging through trash outside businesses and homes have dominated the animal news in Colorado. Towns are now holding meetings to figure out the best way to coexist in bear country.

It feels like 72 is a big number for euthanization, but it's actually a low number in comparison to the number of calls CPW receives which is about 3,500.