Apex Park closed after first reported bear attack in Colorado this year

A popular park in Jefferson County was closed on Monday after a bear attack was reported by a hiker on Sunday evening. Apex Park was temporarily closed on Monday to protect visitors while Colorado Parks and Wildlife officers monitored conditions. 

According to CPW, a woman hiking in the park around 5:20 p.m. Sunday encountered the bear approaching humans and following hikers, what she described as habituated behavior. She told CPW officers that the bear grabbed her backpack and made contact with her leg. Then she said the bear continued to follow her down the trail for more than 30 minutes. During this time, she said she tried to haze the bear with sticks, rocks and loud noises. 

Two other hikers joined her in trying to scare the bear from the area. The bear eventually left and crossed a gully, where it then started to follow a separate pair of hikers on a neighboring trail. 

CPW spokeswoman Kara Van Hoose said that following behavior is unusual, but that the bear had likely become habituated.

"Because bears that aren't habituated are really resistant to new smells, new noises, or humans, they don't really want to investigate further. They're not curious about it," said Kara Van Hoose. "Habituated bears, though have started to associate humans with food. So if they see humans, they're no longer scared, they know that they can get food from people, so that kind of overtakes any sort of flight response they might have."

Wildlife experts will consider euthanizing the bear.

"We never get into this line of work because we like doing that. In fact, it's often, as officers describe it, the worst day of their career is when they have to take actions against bears," said Van Hoose. "It's something that we try to prevent as much as possible, whether it's hazing on our own or relocating, as in some certain cases, can be effective, but when you see a bear that's too far gone, it's really heartbreaking for us, because we love bears, and we want to keep them wild as much as we can."

A bear that has lost its natural fear of humans will continue that behavior no matter where it, is she explained.

"So relocation, if you choose to relocate that bear, is just moving that bear with those bad behaviors to a new location where it's just going to do the same thing. So that doesn't fix the problem."

CPW officers said they responded to the area on Sunday night but couldn't locate the bear at that time. Officers continue to search for the bear involved in the reported attack. A bear was seen in a residential neighborhood near the park on Monday morning. CPW is trying to confirm if it is the same bear. Anyone with information about bear sightings are urged to contact the Denver CPW Office at 303-291-7227 or by calling Colorado State Patrol dispatch at *277.  

Apex Park will remain closed for the time being. There's no date for re-opening it yet.

CPW said this is the first reported bear attack in Colorado this year. Investigators said bear reports are high this year, likely due to the warm and dry winter impacted natural forage opportunities for bears. 

CPW provided a list to help keep bears wild by following the BearWise® basics:  

       1.    Stay Alert & Stay Together - Pay attention to your surroundings and stay together. Walk, hike, jog, or cycle with others when possible. Keep kids within sight and close by. Leave earbuds at home and make noise periodically so bears can avoid you.
       2.    Leave No Trash or Food Scraps - Double bag your food when hiking and pack out all food and trash. Don't burn food scraps or trash in your fire ring or grill. Leaving scraps, wrappers, or even "harmless" items like apple cores teaches bears to associate trails and campsites with food.
       3.    Keep Dogs Leashed - Letting dogs chase or bark at bears is asking for trouble; don't force a bear to defend itself. Keep your dogs leashed at all times or leave them at home. 
       4.    Camp Safely - Set up camp away from dense cover and natural food sources. Cook as far from your tent as possible. Do not store food, trash, clothes worn when cooking, or toiletries in your tent. Store in approved bear-resistant containers OR out of sight in locked vehicle OR suspended at least 10 feet above the ground and 10 feet from any part of the tree. Local regulations vary.
       5.    Know What To Do If You See a Black Bear - If you see a bear before it notices you, don't approach. Stand still, enjoy, then quietly move away. If a bear sees you, back away slowly. Never run; running may trigger a chase response. If a bear approaches, hold your ground, wave your arms and yell "Hey Bear" until it leaves. Stay with your group. If it keeps approaching, use bear spray. If a black bear makes contact with you, do NOT play dead; fight back aggressively.
       6.    Carry Bear Spray & Know How To Use It - Bear spray is proven to be the easiest and most effective way to deter a bear that threatens you. It doesn't work like bug repellent, so never spray your tent, campsite or belongings.

Apex Park encompasses nearly 800 acres in Golden. According to the Jeffco Open Space, a "stream runs alongside a trail in part of the park, and a dense forest provides shady areas on the west end." 

The park has been described as popular for mountain biking with technical trails and a steep challenge up Lookout Mountain.

Apex Park is located about 20 miles west of Denver.

For more information on bears in Colorado, visit cpw.state.co.us/living-bears.