ASPEN, Colo. (KKTV) – A bear was euthanized in Colorado after reportedly attacking a restaurant manager.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife is reporting the attack happened in Aspen on Sunday. Officers located the bear within town limits on Monday. A DNA test confirmed it was the same animal that bit the manager.
According to wildlife officials, the manager tried to haze the bear out of the restaurant’s dumpster. The bear weighed about 400 pounds and tested negative for rabies.
“A bear this size and unafraid of humans could have easily killed a person with little effort,” said Area Wildlife Manager Matt Yamashita. “It’s unfortunate this bear had to die for this reason, especially when you consider it was totally preventable. Based on our experience, there was no chance this bear could be rehabilitated after it bit a person.”
In addition to three attacks on humans over the summer, calls to 911 reporting bear encounters have varied between five and 20 a day since mid-June. At least two or three of the daily calls include bears inside homes or attempting to break into homes while frightened residents hide in bedrooms and closets.
Despite the high level of activity so far, CPW warns the bears are just getting started. In response to the approaching change of seasons, bears are entering into a state of hyperphagia, an instinctive, metabolic change resulting in an almost constant feeding frenzy as the bears prepare for winter hibernation.
“For some bears, natural foods may not be enough so they will come into human-populated areas in search of an easy meal,” said Yamashita. “If bears have easy access to food, they will keep coming back, and that puts people at significant risk.
Click here for tips from Colorado Parks and wildlife for more tips on preventing bear conflicts.