Bear attacks man inside Colorado home, surgery underway

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    Aspen, CO (KDVR) — Colorado Parks and Wildlife officers said a man was attacked by a bear inside a home near Aspen Friday morning.

CPW said the bear attacked the homeowner in the Castle Creek neighborhood around 1:30 a.m. with a paw swipe, which resulted in severe lacerations to the victim’s head and neck.

The man was taken to the hospital, then transferred to a level-one trauma center in Grand Junction. He is undergoing surgery. The victim is stable and the injuries are not life threatening at this point, according to CPW.

The bear left the home and a search is underway. Tracking hounds will be used to locate the bear responsible for the attack.

CPW said that due to the nature of the incident, the bear will be euthanized when it is found.

The bear matches the description of a bear that has been frequenting the Castle Creek neighborhood for several days. It may also be the same bear that has been reported for getting into trash in the area for the past couple of years. Past attempts to haze or trap and relocate the bear have been unsuccessful.

This is the first bear attack in Aspen this year. In 2019, wildlife officers responded to three bear-human attacks in the Aspen area.

Wildlife managers will conduct further investigation and search for the bear.

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