911 Call Reveals Girl Attacked By Bear Was Camping Alone
MESA COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4)- The 911 call made early Sunday morning reveals that the 5-year-old girl who was attacked by a bear was actually outside camping alone. Officials say the girls parents will not face any charges.
Initially, the girls' parents told police that she went outside to check on her dog after hearing strange noises about 2:30 a.m. Sunday.
In the 911 call, the girl's father says she was camping alone in the yard.
911 Dispatch: "Do you have any other children, sir?"
Father: "Yes, I've got two other kids that are ours and then we have a few grandkids here."
911 Dispatch: "Were they all outside or just her?"
Father: "Just her. She's the only girl. All the rest are boys."
911 Dispatch: "Oh, my goodness. She was out camping by herself. Right on, good for her."
According to the 911 call, her father says that she was grabbed by her rear and the animal eventually dropped her and ran away after the girl's mother yelled at the bear.
The attack happened in East Orchard Mesa, an unincorporated area near Grand Junction, about 240 miles west of Denver.
The girl received more than 70 internal and external stitches. She is in good condition at St. Mary's Medical Center in Grand Junction. Her doctor says she was bit on her backside but didn't suffer any fractures or serious injuries to her organs.
Wildlife officials said they observed the bear walking up to a residence about a half-mile away from the location of the attack early Monday. Officers shot and killed the bear before it entered the trap.
Based on the description of the bear and its behavior, wildlife officers are confident the dead bear is the same bear involved in the attack on the girl.
There were five bear attacks in Colorado last year. This marks the first in recent memory in the Grand Valley where bears are rarely spotted.
Parks and Wildlife officials remind residents to secure trash, keep pet food inside and immediately report any bear sightings in this neighborhood, or any residential area.