Tag: Black Bear Attack

Colorado Parks and Wildlife says bears attacked teen inside condo and woman at campground

Posted on by Leave a comment
Muddy forest trail leading toward snow-dusted mountain peaks

Colorado Parks and Wildlife is investigating two bear attacks over the weekend that left a woman and a teen injured. The first incident happened at the Rio Grande National Forest Park Creek Campground on Friday. Around 5:30 a.m., a bear reportedly bit a woman on her arm through the side of her tent. Emergency services treated her for a puncture wound before she was taken to Rio Grande Hospital for follow-up treatment. The woman told officials that she heard something hit the tent before she was bitten. Although she couldn’t see what attacked her, she said that the animal was large and she heard a growl.

CPW officers found holes in the tent, along with scratches and a paw print in the mud. The campground was already scheduled to close for the season on Sept. 14. However, because of the attack, the park decided to close the campground early. Officers think the bite was an act of surprise, not aggression, and they don’t believe there’s a potential for further threats. Two days later, a 17-year-old from Durango was attacked inside her bedroom at a condo on Escalante Drive. She told CPW that the black bear ripped off the window screen and entered the room through a window that was cracked open.

She woke up and hid under the covers as the bear moved into the room and walked to her bedside. When the bear began sniffing her head under the blankets, she says she made a noise, and the bear swiped her on the stomach. When she screamed and sat up, the bear backed away and went out through the window. However, it immediately came back in. The girl says that she stood up and began screaming, and the bear left for good. Wildlife managers say the blankets protected her, and she treated the three scratches on her stomach herself.

“Based on what we know happened in this encounter, the woman is very lucky she had multiple blankets covering her when the bear swiped her,” said District Wildlife Manager Luke Clancy. CPW is currently looking for the bear, which later broke into another home on Monday. They say the bear poses a health and safety risk, and they intend to catch and remove it. This is the 10th confirmed bear attack this season. Bears are entering hyperphagia, where they bulk up for winter, and the lack of their usual food sources is pushing them into neighborhoods in search of food. 

CPW asked residents to lock their garages, doors and windows and secure anything outside that might attract a bear. That includes bird feeders and any type of food.

Source: Colorado Parks and Wildlife says bears attacked teen inside condo and woman at campground – CBS Colorado

For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, And abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You.
Psalm 86:5

Something went wrong. Please refresh the page and/or try again.

New Mexico man killed in rare fatal bear attack, only second in state in a century

Posted on by Leave a comment

In a rare kind of attack, a bear killed a man in Crystal, New Mexico, on Thursday, local police said. The police department for the Navajo Nation said officers within its Window Rock district received a call at about 1pm that a bear had attacked a man. Authorities shot the bear, and the creature fled into woods near the scene of the attack. They said they ultimately found the bear and “neutralized” the animal. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the victim’s family at this time,” the Navajo police department said in a Facebook post.

The Native American reservation’s police department said its criminal investigations department as well as its fish and wildlife department also responded to the scene of the fatal attack. They neither identified the victim nor said what type of bear had killed him. The police department said it “urges the public to stay away from potentially dangerous wildlife. If a bear is spotted, please call your nearest [police] District.” Thursday’s fatal bear attack appeared to be the first such case in New Mexico since 2001, according to a comprehensive list with information about bear attacks.

That 2001 case, meanwhile, was the first fatal New Mexico bear attack in a century, the Associated Press reported. The victim in that case was Adelia Trujillo, who was killed by a 250lb male bear that broke into her house. In 2020, a bear attacked a woman in Los Alamos, New Mexico. The 37-year-old woman and her husband were sitting on the deck at a ski lodge when it approached them. The bear came within a foot of the couple and started chasing her and then attacked in the parking lot. Her injuries included “several broken bones, a collapsed lung, bite marks and scratches”, New Mexico wildlife authorities said at the time.

The woman in that case survived, according to KRQE, and authorities reportedly killed the bear. North America generally has only a handful of fatal bear attacks annually. According to the North American Bear Center, a person’s chances of being murdered by a fellow human is 60,000 times greater than dying at the hands of a black bear. National park service statistics indicate that the chances of being injured by a bear is exceedingly rare at one in 2.1m.

Source: New Mexico man killed in rare fatal bear attack, only second in state in a century | New Mexico | The Guardian

Thus I establish My covenant with you: Never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood; never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.
Genesis 9:11

Hunted for Following Jesus

In some communities, Muslims who leave Islam to follow Christ face rejection, threats, violence, and even death because of their faith. For Muslim-background believers, choosing to follow Jesus…

Keep reading

Something went wrong. Please refresh the page and/or try again.

Warning from wildlife expert after Wisconsin bear attack

Posted on by Leave a comment
Black bear walking on forest floor covered with fallen autumn leaves

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Monday continued to investigate a black bear attack in Barron County that landed a 69-year-old woman in the hospital. What You Need To Know The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Monday continued to investigate a black bear attack in Barron County that landed a 69-year-old woman in the hospital DNR said there are about 24,000 bears in the state. Most of Wisconsin’s bears live in the northern two-thirds of the state The DNR also said black bears are not normally aggressive and will avoid humans as much as they can.

However, bears are known to be aggressive if their cubs are nearby and they feel threatened The woman was able to call 911 around 2 p.m. Saturday after the attack happened. She was taken to a local hospital for treatment. She is currently in stable condition.  Officials said upon arrival, they searched for the bear. They located a cub in a tree. Officials said because of this, they believe the incident revolved around a “sow and cub,” otherwise known as a mother and baby bear. However, it is unknown why the attack happened, officials said.  Officials attempted to track the bear but have been unable to locate it, despite working with a trained bear hound dog. DNR said there is an ongoing effort to find the bear; several bear traps have been set. 

DNR said if captured, “the goal is to euthanize the bear and assess its condition.”  The DNR said the bear “exhibited a sustained series of aggressive behaviors towards the victim.” Black bears, officials said, who are aggressive, are more likely to repeat aggressive behavior. The DNR said its priority is human safety.  “Humane euthanasia is not always the standard practice in human/bear conflicts. Our actions in these types of situations are very carefully determined based upon the totality of the known evidence of each event,” said Randy Johnson, DNR large carnivore specialist. “Although we’re still working to piece together every element of what transpired in this incident, we know enough to warrant attempting to livetrap at the location of the incident and humanely euthanize this bear if captured.” The DNR said if it does capture the cub, it will be released back into the wild. Cubs can survive on their own by this time of year. 

The DNR said it did capture a male bear that was not involved in the attack. It was released.  “I know it can be really concerning when we have an event like this,” said Cady Sartini. “The main thing people need to remember is that black bear attacks are really rare, especially here in Wisconsin.” Sartini is an associate professor of wildlife at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point and principal investigator for the Wisconsin Black Bear Project. DNR said there are about 24,000 bears in the state. Most of Wisconsin’s bears live in the northern two-thirds of the state.  The DNR also said black bears are not normally aggressive and will avoid humans as much as they can. However, bears are known to be aggressive if their cubs are nearby and they feel threatened.  Sartini said that while run-ins with a black bear can be few and far between, it’s still important for people to know what to do if they were to come into contact with one. “In most cases, the bear is going to go on about its business and you can go on about your business,” Sartini said.

“The best thing to do is to just back away slowly and let that bear be a bear… If the bear does happen to approach you, a good thing to do is to make yourself look big, make sure the bear knows that you know its there…” The DNR also offered these tips should someone encounter a bear:  If you encounter a bear in your yard or near your home: “Place yourself in a secure area so the bear has a clear escape path “Make a lot of noise by yelling, honking a car horn or banging pots and pans “Consider installing motion-activated water sprinklers, lights or alarms” If you encounter a bear while camping, hunting or hiking:  “Never approach a bear “Do not run “Do not lie down or play dead “Talk to the bear or start shouting if it doesn’t leave “Raise your arms above your head and wave them to appear larger than you are “Slowly back away and don’t turn your back on the bear “Always leave an escape route for the bear “Fight back if attacked”

Source: Warning from wildlife expert after Wisconsin bear attack

He who builds His layers in the sky, And has founded His strata in the earth; Who calls for the waters of the sea, And pours them out on the face of the earth— The LORD is His name.
Amos 9:6

Plague in Russia?

Russian authorities have sought to allay global worries over the death of a young woman who worked at a Siberian anti-plague laboratory. But moves to isolate…

Keep reading

Something went wrong. Please refresh the page and/or try again.