Bear Killed After Attacking Man in His Garage
A man has been injured in a bear attack after he stumbled upon a sow and her two cubs in his garage near Steamboat Springs, Colorado.
Park and wildlife officials have called the attack "an unfortunate reminder" about keeping food sources secure from bears.
The incident occurred on Sunday evening when the homeowner noticed his garage door was open.
Upon attempting to close the door, the man encountered a bear and two cubs. Colorado Parks & Wildlife (CPW) noted the man had used the garage to store food, including birdseed "and other attractants."
The man tried to slowly back away, but the bear attacked. He was left with injuries to his head and legs.
Though the man's injuries required surgery, CPW said Monday he was in a stable condition and his injuries were not considered life-threatening.
The bear was captured and killed by CPW officials. The team was not able to find its cubs, however, and as of Monday were continuing to search for them.
When found, CPW said it aims to move the cubs to a rehabilitation facility.
Kyle Bond, CPW district wildlife manager, said in a statement: "This is an unfortunate reminder that we need to stay vigilant and 'bear aware' at all times.
"Easy access to food will always override a bear's natural fear of people, so we humans have to stay on top of keeping all food sources secure."
CPW said the bear attack was the first to take place in the Steamboat Springs area this year.
The wildlife agency warns on its website that bears' natural fear of humans can be overcome by their natural drive to eat food, and provides advice on how to "bear-proof" homes in order to prevent human-bear encounters and unnecessary bear deaths.
The advice includes never leaving trash or recyclables out overnight; keeping bear-accessible windows and doors locked; not feeding birds or using bird feeders during months when bears are active; and not leaving food, coolers or air fresheners inside vehicles. Further information is available here.
Bears that become too comfortable around humans often need to be euthanized, CPW states.
The Colorado bear encounter came just two days after a hiker was injured in a bear attack at Yellowstone National Park on Friday, May 28.
The man was hiking on the Beaver Ponds Trail at Mammoth Hot Springs when he came across what he believed were two grizzly bears. One of them attacked, leaving him with injuries to his lower extremities. He was able to hike out on his own and was transported to hospital, the National Park Service said.
It was the first incident of a bear injuring a person in Yellowstone in 2021.
