TRINIDAD, Colo. (KDVR) — Colorado Parks and Wildlife have called off the search for a bear that swatted a camping tent and injured a woman.
CPW said a bear “unwittingly” made contact with a human and therefore had to be euthanized due to CPW policy classifying the contact as an attack. However, hazing efforts gave CPW confidence the bear is no longer a threat.
“We called off the team of dogs and pulled the trap out,” said Mike Brown, CPW’s Area Wildlife Manager for the region. “Given the circumstances of this incident, we are confident there is not an aggressive bear in the area.”
Friday’s bear encounter
According to CPW, early Friday morning, a husband and wife were sleeping with their two children inside a tent at a campground about 37 miles west of Trinidad. Around 2 a.m., the bear reportedly popped a beach ball startling the family awake.
While the mother was consoling her child, CPW believes she may have brushed against the tent. That is when the bear reacted and swatted.
The bear ripped the fabric of the tent and scratched the woman on the head. She suffered minor injuries and did not seek medical attention.
CPW searches for bear
In order to locate the bear, CPW called contract houndsmen who were able to detect the bear’s scent and pursue the animal for miles without it stopping or treeing. Additional hazing in the area was done to deter any future bears from entering the campground.
“The pursuit by the dogs and team had the effect of potentially locating the bear involved in addition to hazing other bears within the area,” Brown said.
Brown is now confident that the combination of hazing and educating campers on bear safety will help keep future campers safe.
“This incident also illustrates the need to call CPW immediately following an incident like this,” Brown said. “With every delay, our chances of tracking or catching a target animal drop significantly.”
District Wildlife Manager Bob Holder said the family was camping in excellent bear habitat.
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