A woman in her 80s woke up early Thursday in her home in Estes Park to discover a bear, which charged her, knocked her to the floor and scratched her across the stomach, wildlife officials said Friday.
It’s the second bear attack in Colorado in about a week, after a bear knocked over a man who was fishing in Jefferson County last weekend and bit his legs.
Wildlife managers were urging people in bear country to lock their windows and remove trash and food from their property in what they called an “extraordinary bear year.”
Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials said they are looking for the bear that broke into the woman’s home on the western side of Estes Park through an unlocked, closed window on the first floor. She woke up when she heard the bruin in her kitchen, on the second floor.
After she was knocked to the floor and scratched, the bear left the house through the first-floor window at about 4:30 a.m. Thursday, she reported. She called 911 and received medical treatment for the injury to her abdomen, officials said.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s animal and plant division was helping CPW look for the bear Friday, and state wildlife managers have set traps to remove bears causing problems in Estes Park.
“Heavy bear activity has been reported in the area, with multiple bears breaking into occupied homes and vehicles over the past few days,” state wildlife officials said in a news release.
“Wildlife officers are working tirelessly to respond to an unprecedented number of bear reports, and we are counting on the community to help mitigate conflict,” said CPW Area Wildlife Manager Jason Duetsch.
Colorado is dealing with an “unprecedented bear conflict year,” he said, thanks to drought that has made it hard for bears to find enough food. Bears are trying to consume about 20,000 calories per day before going into winter hibernation.
CPW said people should keep trash secured at all times, lock windows, doors and vehicles and take down bird feeders until Thanksgiving.