Manitou Springs, CO Animal Ordinances: Wildlife Feeding (2026)

City Code Chapter 7.10 makes it unlawful to intentionally or unintentionally feed wildlife on public or private property anywhere in Manitou Springs, and treats storing food, waste, pet food, grain or salt in a way that lures animals as the same violation under Section 7.10.070. The chapter defines wildlife broadly to include elk, deer, bighorn sheep, bears, skunks, squirrels, raccoons, coyotes, bobcats, foxes, mountain lions and unrestrained livestock or pets, reflecting the town's location at the base of Pikes Peak. Between April 15 and November 15 every bird feeder in the city must be suspended on a cable or similar device so bears cannot reach it, and the ground below must be kept clear of spilled seed.

The prohibition does not apply to anyone licensed by the State of Colorado to possess a wildlife species, or to state-sanctioned wildlife management activity. Enforcement runs through the waste-container scheme that governs bear-resistant trash storage under Chapter 7.10: a first violation brings only a written notice from police or code enforcement explaining the required corrective steps and a compliance deadline, and a responsible party who complies in time owes no fine at all under Section 7.10.090. A second or later violation is subject to a graduated fine schedule set by the city council.

Beyond that schedule, any Title 7 violation defaults to the citywide penalty in Section 1.01.100: a fine of up to two thousand six hundred fifty dollars, up to ninety days in jail, or both, with each day of noncompliance counted as a separate offense.