TRINIDAD, Colo. — Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) said its officers are looking for a small, cinnamon-colored black bear that scratched an 82-year-old woman's legs after breaking into her home near Boncarbo, west of Trinidad, just after midnight Friday.
Per the department's Saturday news release, the woman told a CPW officer that she woke up to a crashing sound and the growling of her dog early Friday morning and, after opening the doors to her mudroom, the small bear leaped at her.
After she pushed the bear off her and closed the doors, the bear "scrambled frantically around the room, climbed a shelf and exited the house by tearing through an open window screen," the department said.
“Human health and safety always remain our top priority in any incident like this, regardless of how minor the injuries are,” said Mike Brown, CPW’s Area Wildlife Manager for the region. “CPW officers are doing everything we can to locate this bear. Luckily, the victim’s injuries consist of very minor scratches.”
Based on the description, CPW said it believes the bear to be a cub or a yearling.
The department said that, according to CPW's policy, any bear that causes injury to a human is classified as a dangerous bear and must be humanely euthanized if captured.
CPW Officer Bob Holder began a search of the area after being alerted to the incident and set a trap for the bear in case it returns, CPW said.
This is the second bear attack in the Trinidad area in two weeks, CPW said; however, the department does not believe the attacks are related.
Counting this incident, there have been four attacks in Colorado this year, CPW added.
CPW's tips on how to live safely in bear country can be found on their website.
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