CPW kills bear after young girl gets attacked
Update: Colorado Parks and Wildlife used DNA evidence to confirm the bear officers killed, is the same bear responsible for attacking a young girl Sunday morning.
Earlier story:
Colorado Parks and Wildlife officers killed a bear they believe was responsible for injuring a young girl early Sunday morning.
The five-year-old girl was attacked in East Orchard Mesa. The girl’s mother said she heard screaming around 2:30 a.m. and when she went outside, she told CPW officers that a large black bear was dragging the girl. The mother also says the bear let go of her daughter when she began screaming at the animal.
According to the audio from a 911 call placed by her parents, the girl was outside camping alone.
KDVR reports, that during the call both parents remained calm and the father described the injuries to the girl, saying she had been bitten on her leg and buttocks and said she was not bleeding severely.
The girl is being treated at St. Mary’s Medical Center in Grand Junction for nonlife-threatening injuries.
Wildlife officers monitored the area and saw a bear walking up to a residence approximately a half-mile away from the location of the attack. Officers killed the bear before it entered one of the three traps they set up.
CPW officers will bring the bear’s carcass to the Wildlife Health Laboratory in Fort Collins for a full necropsy.
Based on the description of the bear and its behavior, officers are confident the dead bear is the same bear involved in the attack on the girl.
“The necropsy, along with DNA results will provide the confirmation, but we are confident we have the right bear,” said Area Wildlife Manager Kirk Oldham. “However, we will leave all three traps in place for the time being out of an abundance of caution.”
Colorado Parks and Wildlife advises the public to avoid attracting bears to their residences by removing attractants, including trash, bird feeders and other potential sources of food.
