A hungry bear barged into Colorado’s Aspen Saturday Market, gorged on fresh-baked bread, then climbed a tree and left, officials blame drought and scarce natural food.

The animal showed up during setup at the Aspen Saturday Market and made straight for the Louis Swiss booth, helping itself to baked goods before anyone could stop it.

UPI reported that Aspen police hazed the bear while a Colorado Parks and Wildlife officer rushed to the scene. The bear climbed a nearby tree, then left the area on its own. No injuries or arrests were described.

Witnesses caught the raid on video. The clip spread on social media as another entry in what officials call a rough year for bear encounters across the state.

Drought is driving bears into town for easy calories

Colorado Parks and Wildlife spokesperson Joey Livingston said police hazed the animal as the CPW officer responded. Officials tied the surge in encounters to extreme drought and a shortage of natural food sources.

Bears are packing on pounds for winter hibernation. When the woods run thin, dumpsters, picnic tables, and bakery booths start looking like open kitchens.

That is the plain pattern: scarce forage, record encounters this year, and wildlife walking into human spaces for carbs.

Fox News described the same scene, a bear wandering the Aspen market, taking fresh bread from a vendor’s table, then climbing a tree for a post-snack rest. Witnesses said the animal seemed more interested in the “carbs and sweets” than the crowd.

Setup hour is not safe from hungry wildlife

The raid hit during setup, not peak shopping. Vendors were still putting out goods. The Louis Swiss booth became the buffet line.

Police hazing and a rapid CPW response moved the bear off the grounds without a bigger mess. It chose the tree, then chose the exit.

Aspen is mountain country. Bears and people share the same valleys, trails, and now the same farmers market aisles when drought empties the usual pantry.

Record encounters mean more of these run-ins are likely until natural food returns or winter settles the animals down. Easy calories in town only teach the wrong lesson.

Nature does not wait for perfect policy. When the woods go bare, the bread booth is next, and common sense still beats wishful thinking about wild animals.