Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) is investigating two reported black bear attacks over the weekend. CPW defines a bear attack as an incident in which a person is injured or killed by a bear.
According to the organization, the first incident was reported Friday after a woman called the South Fork Police Department saying she had been bitten early that morning. She told officers she was inside her tent in the Park Creek Campground in the Rio Grande National Forest when the animal pierced through the fabric. The woman suffered a bite on her arm.
The Rio Grande National Forest closed the campground for the remainder of the weekend and it is now seasonally closed for the year as of Monday. CPW said it does not believe there is an ongoing threat to the public with this particular incident.
The second incident happened in Durango on Sunday. A 17-year-old woman reported that around 2am, a bear entered her bedroom through a partially open window while she was sleeping. The bear reportedly ripped off the window screen, opened the window further and pulled down a curtain as it climbed into the room. She woke up and pulled her blankets over her head to hide. The bear approached her bedside and swiped at her, leaving scratches on her stomach. When the bear wouldn’t leave, the teen stood up and began screaming and yelling. The bear finally left and did not return.
Her injuries were treated at home. A wildlife manager said that the woman is very lucky that she had multiple blankets covering her when the bear swiped at her. CPW set a trap near the home with wildlife management stating that this bear has exhibited behavior that threatens human health and safety, showing that it is not afraid to enter homes multiple times and it is likely this behavior will continue.
They reminded residents to make sure they are closing and locking their doors and windows during this high human-bear conflict year in addition to securing all outside attractants including trash and bird feeders. If you encounter a bear, do not make eye-contact. Do not run. Slowly back away while making yourself appear bigger. Speak or shout in an assertive manner, while leaving a path for the bear to exit the area. Most black bears prefer to avoid conflict and will flee if given space.
CPW reports that Colorado has seen more than 6,000 bear sightings so far across the state, nearly double last year’s numbers.
