Bear bites sheepherder on the head, seriously injuring 35-year-old in southwestern Colorado

A 250 pound bear attacked and severely injured a 35-year-old man in southwestern Colorado in what is the first reported bear attack on a human in the state so far this year. It happened on Tuesday morning in the Weminuche Wilderness not far from Lemon Reservoir. That's in La Plata County and about 23 miles to the northeast of Durango.

The man was herding sheep when the attack happened. According to Colorado Parks and Wildlife, he was "working for a permit holder of a sheep grazing allotment on the San Juan National Forest."

The bear bit the victim on the head and caused injuries to many other parts of his body, including severe scratches on his left hip.

The attack came after the man woke in the early morning due to a disturbance he heard between the bear and the sheep. He fired a rifle at the animal before it attacked him. He was able to call for help and eventually was airlifted by helicopter to a hospital in Grand Junction.

With help from a dog team, wildlife officials tracked down what they assume is the bear afterwards and killed it late Tuesday night. That action was done according to the CPW policy that if a bear makes contact with a human it will get euthanized if officers are able to locate it. 

"This is a difficult part of the job. ... But when it comes to injuries to humans as a result of a predator attack, human health and safety is our top priority," said CPW wildlife manager Adrian Archuleta in a prepared statement.

Two sheep were found dead at the scene and are believed to have been killed by the bear, which was a male and was about 8 years old. CPW says it hasn't been determined if the sheepherder's shots struck the bear. They said it had some damage in its chest.