Colorado Parks and Wildlife is trying to determine why a black bear attacked a woman Sunday on a popular hiking trail, and then followed her for 30 minutes despite her shouting and throwing rocks at it.
“We don’t know for sure, because we haven’t found the bear,” Kara Van Hoose, CPW's northeast region spokeswoman, told Cowboy State Daily on Wednesday.
The bear was thought to be a “yearling, or young adult,” she added.
Predatory attacks, in which a bear is deliberately stalking a person as prey, are extremely rare in both black bears and grizzlies.
Most bear attacks are defensive or territorial.
The consensus among bear biologists is that while grizzlies are more likely to attack humans, black bears are more likely to attack in a purely predatory manner.
While the bear’s behavior was alarming, CPW doesn’t think it was predatory, Van Hoose said.
“It makes us think more likely a food-conditioned bear, not a predatory black bear,” she said.
Bear Wouldn’t Give Up
The woman, who CPW did not identify, told wildlife agents that she was attacked from behind and suffered scratches on one leg at about 5:20 p.m.
She was on the Enchanted Forest trail in the 700-acre Apex Park near Golden in Jefferson County. CPW shut down the park after the reported attack.
The woman told investigators the bear continued to follow her despite her repeated attempts to intimidate and haze it by making herself look big, shouting, and throwing rocks and sticks.
Toward the end of the encounter, the woman was joined by two hikers who responded to her calls for help. Even with all three people shouting at it, the bear was undeterred, CPW reported.
Eventually, the bear turned down another trail, where it reportedly started following other hikers, according to CPW.
The woman is an avid hiker who has had previous bear encounters, and acted appropriately by trying to intimidate and haze the bear, Van Hoose said.
The woman gave CPW a short cellphone video she took during the encounter, which helped the agency identify the bear as relatively small and probably young, Van Hoose said.
CPW isn’t at liberty to share the video with Cowboy State Daily, she said.
Local news station Denver 7 reported the woman reached out and shared the video and details of the encounter but declined to be named in their report.
The woman told Denver 7 the bear was “circling” her.
Problems Human-Caused
British Columbia bear researcher Lana Ciarniello told Cowboy State Daily she couldn’t comment on the specifics of the Colorado attack, but affirmed that predatory behavior is extremely rare in both black bears and grizzlies.
Most human-bear conflict is rooted in human mistakes, such as deliberately feeding bears or allowing them access to garbage or other food sources, she said.
People who recreate in bear territory should “take training courses” on avoiding close encounters, and what to do if one occurs.
And “carry bear spray,” Ciarniello said.
Van Hoose said it wasn’t known for certain whether the woman attacked in Colorado was carrying bear spray.
Time To Fight Back
Ciarniello noted that a video tutorial, “Staying Safe in Bear Country”, was made years ago by the International Bear Association (IBA) but remains a “gold standard” bear-safety training tool.
In one segment, the difference is noted between defensive actions by bears versus deliberate approaches.
Bears that deliberately approach people might be driven by curiosity or food conditioning, according to IBA. In rare instances, bears see people as prey.
A predatory bear will move in “with its head up and ears erect, its approach is confident and persistent,” according to IBA.
If a predatory bear makes contact, it’s time to fight back because “you’re fighting for your life,” IBA states.
What Happens To The Bear?
It’s not certain what will happen to the bear once CPW finds it, Van Hoose said.
More information is needed before it can be determined whether it will be euthanized, or if other action is needed, she said.
Agents need to determine if it has persisted in following people or displayed other aggressive behavior, and whether it might be malnourished or suffering from disease, Van Hoose said.
Mark Heinz can be reached at mark@cowboystatedaily.com.
