Two people injured in recent bear attacks in Colorado high country

Colorado Parks and Wildlife says two people were recently injured in separate bear attacks in the high country.

On Tuesday, a bear reportedly entered a home in Steamboat Springs near Fish Creek Falls Road. The woman told wildlife officers the bear entered her home through the sliding glass door around 1 a.m., and she attempted to chase it back outside. The bear then struck her in the face.

CPW says the woman drove herself to the hospital for treatment and is now recovering at home.

Investigators say the bear forced its way through the door and knocked it off its track to get inside the home. Wildlife officers have alerted the neighbors to take precautions and have set up a bear trap in the area.

Another attack happened around 3 a.m. Wednesday in the Aspen area. CPW says a man experiencing homelessness was sleeping in Rio Grande Park when a bear approached and bit him on the head. The man woke up, managed to escape from his sleeping bag, and then escaped from the bear.

He called for help and was taken to a local hospital for treatment of injuries to his head and face. CPW says the man has since been released from the hospital. 

Wildlife officers found a female bear in the area matching the description and euthanized her, as per CPW policy. They say that a full necropsy will be performed on the bear.

These most recent encounters follow an attack earlier this week in the Eagle-Vail area.

CPW is warning that there have been a record number of bear reports this year due to the ongoing drought. The bears are entering hyperphagia and are searching for food to prepare for winter, but the drought has reduced the availability of their usual food sources. This is pushing them further into residential areas in search of food sources such as unsecured trash, birdseed, pet food and barbecue grills.

Wildlife officials are urging the public to safely secure all possible food sources and keep grills clean. They asked residents to take precautions and to secure all doors and windows, including those on garages, to prevent bears from entering homes. If a bear does enter a home, CPW says the resident should leave immediately and call 911.

Anyone experiencing bear issues should contact CPW as soon as possible.