LAKE CITY, Colo.—A man in Colorado was attacked by a black bear with three cubs after they entered his home through a sliding glass door and refused to leave.
Following the incident on Thursday night in Lake City, a small town in southwestern Colorado, state wildlife officials euthanized all four bears. The man sustained significant injuries but did not require hospitalization, according to a statement by Colorado Parks & Wildlife released on Saturday.
Colorado wildlife officer Lucas Martin expressed gratitude that the situation did not result in a fatality, stating, “It’s certainly lucky we didn’t have a fatality because it was close.”
The 74-year-old man attempted to scare off the adult female bear using a kitchen chair, but she pushed him into a wall and attacked him with her claws, the wildlife agency reported.
The man suffered injuries to his head, neck, arms, shoulder, abdomen, and calf before he and his wife managed to seek refuge in a bedroom.
A sheriff’s deputy successfully drove the bears out of the house, and the man received medical treatment at the scene. His identity has not been disclosed.
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Authorities believe that the bears had become accustomed to human presence due to recent reports of bears in the area entering homes in search of food.
The bears were located near the couple’s residence and euthanized, a standard protocol for dealing with bears that pose a threat by associating humans with a food source.
Martin explained the challenges posed by such situations, stating, “Unfortunately cub bears that are taught these behaviors by their mother may result in generations of conflict between bears and people.”
This incident marks Colorado’s first reported bear attack of the year, following six incidents in 2023.
