Colorado Parks & Wildlife (CPW) is currently searching for a bear that attacked a woman camping at Monument Lake Resort near Trinidad, Colorado, according to a CPW press release. The woman, who was sleeping in a tent with her husband and 2-year-old daughter, suffered only minor injuries and did not seek medical help.
The woman reported hearing the bear outside her tent around 2 a.m. on Friday, June 24th. The bear then stepped on and popped a beach ball, causing the 2-year-old to begin crying. According to CPW, the woman likely brushed the tent while attempting to comfort her daughter, causing the bear to swat at the movement and strike the victim.
Unfortunately, as the bear made contact with a human, it’s classified as an attack, and upon finding the animal, CPW will euthanize it, despite it being quite clear that the bear did not intend to harm the woman and was simply reacting to the movement. The type or size of the bear has not been disclosed by CPW.
This is, overall, a rather depressing story. It sucks that the woman was injured, and it sucks that the bear will have to be euthanized. In my opinion, no one is really in the wrong here.
Yes, you could claim it was silly to leave a beach ball out near the campsite, but no one could predict that an animal would attack because it stepped on a beach ball.
CPW recommends sleeping away from the sides of your tent, as reactions to movement within the temporary shelters can cause similar reactions from any bear, but tents are small, and when you’re fitting three people inside one, it can be difficult to get a large enough one where sleeping away from the walls is even an option.
Anyways, enjoy this video from CPW with a few tips on what to do if you see a bear.
Image Credit: Colorado Parks & Wildlife on YouTube
