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2 injured as bear attacks reach record high in Colorado amid drought

Lauren Penington, The Denver Post on

Published in News & Features

DENVER — State wildlife officers reported two more bear attacks over the weekend in southern Colorado, bringing the state’s total reported attacks for the year to a record, double-digit high.

A black bear bit a woman camping in the Rio Grande National Forest near South Fork at about 5:30 a.m. Friday, according to a news release from Colorado Parks and Wildlife. Another black bear snuck into a Durango condo building through a bedroom window at about 2 a.m. Sunday and scratched a teenage girl inside, state wildlife officials said.

Those incidents bring this year’s tally of confirmed bear attacks in Colorado to 10, a record for the state, officials stated in the release. The agency defines a bear attack as an incident where a bear injures or kills a person.

The woman injured while camping told state wildlife officers that something hit her tent while she was inside and then bit her arm through the fabric, according to the release. She couldn’t see the animal outside, but described it as large and said she heard a growl.

Officers found holes in the tent from the bite, claw marks on the opposite side of the tent, paw prints on the ground and dark hair outside the tent, all “consistent with a bear,” agency officials said.

“The bite in this incident was more likely an act of surprise than aggression,” Area Wildlife Manager Rick Basagoitia of the Monte Vista office said in a statement. “There is no history of conflict or damage. This location is isolated and now closed. The potential for threat is never zero, but it is significantly reduced in this situation.”

In Durango, the bear entered a 17-year-old girl’s bedroom through a cracked window, state wildlife officials said. The animal ripped off the window screen, fully opened the window and tore down the curtain, waking up the teenager inside, according to the release.

The girl told investigators that she pulled up her blankets and hid when she saw the bear enter the room. The bear began to sniff the girl’s head under the blankets and, when she made a noise, huffed and swiped at her under the covers, agency officials said.

She screamed and the bear ran to the foot of her bed, state wildlife officials said. It briefly exited the room, but reentered, causing the girl to stand up and start screaming again. That’s when the bear left and did not return, officials said in the release.

The teen was lucky she had multiple blankets covering her when the bear swiped at her, District Wildlife Manager Luke Clancy said. The animal’s claws left three scratch marks and bruising on her stomach, agency officials said.

 

A bear entered another nearby home on Monday, officials said. State wildlife officers have set a trap for the bear.

“This bear has exhibited behavior that threatens human health and safety,” Area Wildlife Manager Adrian Archuleta of the Durango office said in a statement. “It has shown that it is not afraid to enter homes multiple times now, and it is likely this behavior will continue.”

Archuleta said residents should make sure they’re closing and locking their doors and windows “during this high human-bear conflict year.”

Drought conditions have depleted natural food sources, driving the estimated 17,000 to 20,000 black bears living in Colorado closer to human-populated areas in search of a meal.

Nearly 300 black bears have been euthanized this year, as sightings and conflicts spike across the state. Another 98 have been relocated. In 2025, 83 bears were euthanized and 33 were relocated, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife.

The agency euthanizes or relocates bears that have been hit by vehicles, attacked humans, entered homes or are suffering from poor health, state wildlife officials said.

This year, bears have been spotted in 41 of Colorado’s 64 counties, according to state parks and wildlife data. Bear activity should be reported to Colorado Parks and Wildlife.

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