A Colorado Springs woman decided she would rather bear the burden of fines and an arrest than stop feeding local bears.

Police arrested Jo Ann Medina on Wednesday for luring bears to her property and feeding them, despite warnings from law enforcement to cease the activity for over a year.

Medina, 62, of Colorado Springs, posted an $800 bond Thursday morning and was released.

“Living with wildlife is part of living in Colorado, especially in the foothills and mountain regions of the state. However, feeding wildlife is not only illegal, but dangerous to both humans and wildlife,” said a press release from Colorado Parks and Wildlife announcing the arrest.

Bears can become aggressive toward humans and lose their natural instincts and abilities to hunt if they become dependant on people for food, the release said.

At least six bears were visiting the property to be fed, authorities said. CPW is working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the El Paso County Health Department to capture the bears and “restore safety to the neighborhood,” the release said.

Matthew Nussbaum: 303-954-1666, mnussbaum@denverpost.com or twitter.com/MatthewNussbaum