A Division of Wildlife officer shot a small black bear early today after a woman was injured on the deck of her Conifer home.
The woman, who lives in Conifer Estates, was swatted by a bear about 1 a.m. in the 9500 block of Fallen Rock Road, authorities said.
Her injuries were not life-threatening, and she was treated and released from Swedish Medical Center, DOW spokeswoman Jennifer Churchill said.
A DOW officer followed bear tracks leading from the woman’s home into the woods and noticed three pair of animal eyes. A 60- to 70-pound black bear charged and was shot and killed, Churchill said.
A trap was set in the area to capture the other two bears.
When officers arrived, they noticed that trash cans on the premises had been rifled through and trash strewn around the yard. It’s unclear whether food was left out or whether the bears managed to break into a sealed trash can. No citations are being issued, Churchill said.
The dead bear was taken to a lab in Fort Collins to determine whether it had an illness that made it behave aggressively, officials said.
Wildlife officers are awaiting the outcome of the testing and the inquiry into whether the bear killed was the same one that attacked the woman. The results will determine what will happen to the two other bears if they’re trapped, Churchill said. They could be euthanized or relocated, she said.
