A black bear was euthanized after it injured someone who was walking in Steamboat Springs, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife officers.
The bear swiped at someone taking their morning walk on the path connecting Walton Creek Road and Mount Werner Circle and knocked them to the ground on Tuesday, according to a press release from Colorado Parks and Wildlife. The victim, who sustained minor scrapes, finished their walk before notifying wildlife officials around 9:45 a.m., officers said.
The victim saw a yearling cub in the area and then felt a swipe from behind that knocked them to the ground, officials said. The fall scraped the victim’s arm, according to the release.
Wildlife officers trapped the sow and two out of three of her cubs near the location of the attack on Wednesday afternoon. The bear was identified as the same one who attacked the walker and was euthanized, according to the release.
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Officials determined that the cubs could survive without the mother and relocated them to southern Routt County. Officers did not attempt to trap the third cub, the release states.
Bears are active in Steamboat Springs and citizens should remain alert and keep dogs on a leash. Anyone who encounters a bear should not run and should remain calm and still before slowly backing away until the bear is out of sight, Colorado Parks and Wildlife officers said. If a cub is spotted, the mother is usually close by and citizens should leave the area immediately, according to the release.
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