A town in western Colorado saw its second bear attack in just over a month when a bear knocked a man to the ground in his backyard Saturday night, state officials said.
The man survived after he grabbed his gun with his free hand and fired three shots to scare off the bear, Colorado Parks and Wildlife said in a news release.
A family member took the man to the hospital where he was treated for injuries to his arm and hand. He also suffered bruising to his chest from the bear being on top of him, officials said.
CPW officials arrived at the man’s home in New Castle, Colorado, around 2 a.m. on Sunday morning to look for the bear. It was unclear whether any of the bullets struck the bear, but heavy rain would’ve made it difficult to spot a potential blood trail anyway, officials said.
The local sheriff’s office deployed a drone with an infrared sensor to aid in the search, but authorities were unable to locate the bear by Sunday night, CPW said.
The victim, who was released from the hospital Sunday morning, said he had seen the bear in his yard the two nights previous to the attack. CPW said in its statement it would continue the search Monday.
A CPW spokesperson told USA TODAY Tuesday officials did not find the bear and called off the search.
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Saturday night’s incident marked the second bear attack in New Castle, a town of roughly 5,000 people, in recent months.
In August, a mother bear traveling with her cubs swiped at a woman in her yard, lacerating the woman’s arm. The woman survived and was treated at a hospital, but the mother bear and one cub were euthanized.
First attack:Bear attacks Colorado woman in her backyard, leaving her hospitalized, officials say
What should you do if you see a bear?
Black bears and grizzly bears are the most common kinds of bear in North America. Most human-bear encounters involve black bears, the smaller of the two, Dr. Jamie Sherman, a wildlife veterinarian at the University of California, Davis, previously told USA TODAY.
If you come across a bear, it’s best to give it a space as most bears have no interest in humans, said Branndon Bargo, a director of outdoor adventure at Southwestern University in Texas who has had multiple encounters with the giant mammals.
But it matters how you walk away, Bargo said. It is unwise to run. Bears can outrun you.
“A bear that wouldn’t have been aggressive now has this predatory response, and it sees this thing running and it wants to chase it,” Bargo said.
Instead, Bargo advises to “stop what you’re doing and let the bear kind of move its way.”
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If the bear is agitated or aggressive, Bargo recommends moving toward it and asserting yourself by screaming to match its behavior and even throwing something at it. It could be smart to try to appear larger so a bear doesn’t mistake you for smaller prey, according to Bargo.
“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,” Colorado Parks and Wildlife Manager Kirk Oldham said in the statement.
“Simple steps like picking up fruit and removing any attractants around your home are important in preventing incidents like this.”
Contributing: Saleen Martin, USA TODAY