Bear attack hospitalizes woman after it charges and swipes her arm in Colorado backyard
A woman went into her backyard to fix her hot tub lid and was suddenly charged by a bear, Colorado officials said.
The New Castle woman was taken to a hospital with serious injuries Wednesday, Aug. 31, after a bear charged and attacked her, Colorado Parks and Wildlife said.
“The woman saw the lid to her hot tub was partially removed and went outside to put the lid back on,” wildlife officials said in a news release. “While fixing the lid she noticed a bear coming out of a tree and charging at her.”
The bear swiped at the woman and left a severe deep cut on her arm. Her back was also scratched by the bear.
The woman was able to get away from the bear and back inside her home, where she called 911 for help.
When police arrived, they determined there were four bears nearby. A sow and her three cubs were still near the home, according to Parks and Wildlife.
“CPW instructed the police officer to shoot and kill the sow,” officials said. “New Castle PD was able to track down and kill the sow in a tree near the New Castle Middle School.”
Initially, wildlife officials did not know if the sow or a cub had attacked the woman. They decided to euthanized all of the cubs, and one was killed.
After more investigation, however, officials determined the sow attacked the woman, and decided against euthanizing the remaining two cubs. They were sent to a rehabilitation facility.
“The cubs were tranquilized and safely removed from the tree and transported to a CPW rehabilitation facility to be evaluated,” officials said. “The deceased sow and cub’s remains are being sent to CPW’s Wildlife Health Lab for necropsy.”
New Castle is about 170 miles west of Denver.
What to do if you see a bear
Bear attacks in the U.S. are rare, according to the National Park Service. Bears in most attacks are trying to defend their food, cubs or space.
There are steps people can take to help prevent a bear encounter from becoming a bear attack.
Identify yourself: Talk calmly and slowly wave your arms. This can help the bear realize you’re a human and nonthreatening.
Stay calm: Bears usually don’t want to attack, they want to be left alone. Talk slowly and with a low voice to the bear.
Don’t scream: Screaming could trigger an attack.
Pick up small children: Don’t let kids run away from the bear. It could think they’re small prey.
Hike in groups: A group is noisier and smellier, the National Park Service said. Bears like to keep their distance from groups of people.
Make yourself look big: Move to higher ground and stand tall. Don’t make any sudden movements.
Don’t drop your bag: A bag on your back can keep a bear from accessing food, and it can provide protection.
Walk away slowly: Move sideways so you appear less threatening to the bear. This also lets you keep an eye out.
Again, don’t run: Bears will chase you, just like a dog would.
Don’t climb trees: Grizzlies and black bears can also climb.
This story was originally published September 1, 2022 at 9:54 AM with the headline "Bear attack hospitalizes woman after it charges and swipes her arm in Colorado backyard."