"Surprised" bear attacks security guard inside kitchen of luxury resort in Aspen
A "surprised" bear attacked and injured a security guard inside the kitchen of a luxury resort in Aspen on Monday night, Colorado wildlife officials said Tuesday. Colorado Parks and Wildlife officers said early Wednesday morning that they caught and euthanized the bear after identifying it by a distinctive white patch on its chest.
"This spot on the bear's chest helped wildlife officers distinguish it from other bears in the area and confirm it was the bear responsible for the attack," Colorado Parks and Wildlife said in a statement. The department noted there were currently eight other bears roaming around Aspen.
The bear was euthanized and a full necropsy will be performed, the statement said.
After reports on Monday of a bear roaming the St. Regis Aspen Resort's facilities, the on-duty security guard went to investigate the kitchen, the department said in its earlier news release. After the guard "surprised the bear as he was going around a corner," the animal attacked him, "swiping at him and knocking him down to the ground," officials said.
The guard was able to get away and call 911. Police arrived and an ambulance took the guard to a local hospital where he was treated for scratches on his back. He was released from the hospital Tuesday morning, but officials did not give details on the man's condition.
Wildlife officers arrived at the luxury resort shortly after midnight to search for the bear, the statement said. Officers were able to locate the bear, but said, "due to public safety they were unable to safely tranquilize and capture the bear."
Investigators determined that the bear had entered the hotel "through a series of doors near the courtyard."
Wildlife officials estimate there as many as 20,000 black bears in Colorado. Most bears in the state are active from mid-March through November, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
Colorado euthanizes three behavioral classifications of bears: dangerous bears, depredating bears, and nuisance bears that receive two strikes, the department said.
Human-bear conflicts are on the rise due to an increase of people camping and hunting in the backwoods. Earlier this month a mother bear and her cub were killed after she charged two young boys in Colorado Springs. In Montana, a 73-year-old woman was hospitalized after she was attacked by a bear west of Glacier National Park.
A hunter was severely mauled in September in Montana by a grizzly bear. A couple and their dog were killed in Canada.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said that most human-bear conflicts "involve unsecured attractants, such as garbage and human food." The federal agency advises people to stay at least 100 yards away from a bear, never leave food or make food accessible to people and "not to run" if you encounter a bear.