A Colorado man investigating a noise in his backyard late Saturday night startled a bear, which knocked him down and pinned him to the ground.
The victim used one arm to protect his face while grabbing his gun with the other and shooting three times, scaring the bear away, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
Family members took the victim to the hospital where he was treated for minor injuries to his hand, arm and chest. He was released from the hospital early Sunday morning.
“In addition to injuries to his hand and arm, the victim also received bruising on his chest from the bear holding him down on the ground,” the CPW stated.
The man told CPW that he had seen a bear in his yard the previous two nights.
This was the second bear attack in New Castle this year. According to The Denver Post, the first attack happened in August and also took place in a backyard, where a sow and three cubs were in trees. A woman went outside to cover a hot tub and was attacked.
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“This is an unfortunate reminder that we need to be vigilant and ‘bear aware’ at all times,” Area Wildlife Manager Kirk Oldham said in response to Saturday’s attack. “We continue to see a lot of bear activity during the overnight hours as bears prepare for hibernation.
“Easy access to food sources, such as trash and fruit from trees that have fallen to the ground, will attract bears. Simple steps like picking up fruit and removing any attractants around your home are important in preventing incidents like this.”
The attack occurred around 10:30 p.m. CPW was notified about it by the staff of the local hospital. Wildlife officers arrived on the scene around 2 a.m. Sunday to search for the bear, but heavy rain made it difficult to locate a possible blood trail to track the bear.
Garfield County Sheriff’s Office deputies assisted using a drone with infrared sensors to search for the bear. The search continued throughout the day Sunday without success.
The victim was unsure whether any of his three shots actually hit the bear. But the CPW asks the New Castle community to contact Colorado State Patrol if an injured or dead bear is spotted.
Generic bear photos courtesy of Wikipedia Commons.
