STEAMBOAT SPRINGS — Wildlife officials in Colorado have euthanized a mother bear after a man was attacked in his home.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife said the homeowner noticed the door to his garage open Sunday around 11 p.m. when he encountered a bear and two cubs. The man stored birdseed and other attractants in the garage of his home in Steamboat Springs, about 155 miles (250 kilometers) northwest of Denver.
The agency said in a statement on Monday that the man tried to slowly back away when the mother bear attacked, causing severe lacerations to his head and legs. Officials said the man underwent surgery and is expected to survive.
Wildlife officials, park rangers and other authorities responded to the home and quickly located the bear, which was euthanized and sent to a lab for necropsy. The cubs have not yet been found, but officials said they will be moved to a rehabilitation facility when captured.
“This is an unfortunate reminder that we need to stay vigilant and ‘bear aware’ at all times,” said Kyle Bond, district wildlife manager for Colorado Parks and Wildlife. “Easy access to food will always override a bear’s natural fear of people, so we humans have to stay on top of keeping all food sources secure.”
On April 30, a woman from Durango was found dead off County Road 203 near Trimble Lane, north of Durango.
Necropsy results from the bears and the autopsy results confirmed the bears caused her death, said La Plata County Coroner Jann Smith.
“They grabbed her by the neck,” she said. “It was extensive damage.”
The woman, Laney Malavolta, was apparently on a walk with her dogs at the time of the attack, according to the La Plata County Sheriff’s Office.
