Parks and Wildlife: Be ‘bear aware’; couple in tent ‘attacked’ near Colorado Springs

EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) -- Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) is looking for a young bear that jumped on top of a tent where a couple was camping earlier this week.

It happened at Golden Eagle Campground off Colorado Highway 115, near Fort Carson.

They say this encounter is considered an attack because the bear came into contact with a human.

Wildlife officials say the bear stood on its back legs and put its paws on the tent, but don't consider it aggressive.

They say it was frightened off when the couple set off their car alarm.

Wildlife officers have set a trap in the area in hopes of catching it. If they find the bear, CPW says it will release it into a more remote region.

CPW said the incident is an important reminder to use Bear Aware rules when in isolated areas.

• Never keep food in a tent or eat in a tent
• Store food and anything with an odor in a bear-resistant container
• Lock your vehicles to avoid damage
• If you come in contact with a bear, never run and instead back-up slowly or suspend yourself from a tree at least 10 feet above ground