Sleeping with a window open in Colorado to maximize that mountain air flow seems like a good idea… that is until a black bear climbs right through it and acts as an alarm clock.
People that live in bear country always have to be “bear aware.” You’ve likely traveled to a place where bears and humans co-exist and noticed that all of the trash cans are very secure. That’s because the wild animals are very opportunistic omnivores, and happily go dumpster diving in search of food.
That right there – the search for food – is what can makes bears very dangerous. Often times, they fall in line with the classic, outdoors phrase of “they are more scared of you than you are of them.” However, if a bear is hungry, and gets on the scent of something to eat… they aren’t really afraid of anything.
According to reports from Colorado Parks and Wildlife, one black bear’s recent actions are a testament to that. This past Sunday, the wild animal climbed through an open window of a Colorado home and swung at a woman while she was laying in bed. The CPW lays out the story like this:
“A 17-year-old woman reported that around 2 a.m. Sunday, a black bear entered her bedroom through a window that was cracked open. The bear ripped off the window screen and opened the window all the way before entering. As it entered the room, it ripped down the curtain and woke up the sleeping woman.
The woman said she pulled up her blankets and hid when she saw the bear fully enter the room. The bear reportedly then walked over to the bedside table and began to sniff the woman’s head under the blankets. The woman made a noise, and she said the bear abruptly made a huffing sound and then quickly swiped her as she lay under the covers. She said she felt the bear’s paw hit her stomach.”
Absolutely terrifying. That’s the kind of nightmare that not even the minds behind horror movies can dream up.
Feeling as though she needed to fight back in some way to deter the bear, the woman says she sat up in her bed and started to make loud noises. That was initially enough to cause the black bear to flee, but not for long:
“The woman said she then screamed and sat up, and the bear ran to the foot of her bed. She said it briefly paused and then exited the room back through the window it had come through. However, she said the bear immediately re-entered the room. She then stood up and began screaming and yelling.
The bear then turned around and exited the room again and did not return. CPW officers interviewed the woman, who self-treated three scratch marks the bear left on her stomach. District Wildlife Managers also noted bruising where she had been swiped.”
The wildlife managers also collected evidence in and outside of the home that matched up with the woman’s story, and proved that a bear did, in fact, break through the screen of the window to get inside.
Obviously, that’s very concerning behavior from a wild animal in the area – and on the loose – and officials are working to track down the black bear. CPW Area Wildlife Manager, Adrian Archuleta, is telling residents in the Durango, Colorado area to lock their doors and windows and stay vigilant:
“This is a human health and safety issue that we take seriously. This bear has exhibited behavior that threatens human health and safety. It has shown that it is not afraid to enter homes multiple times now, and it is likely this behavior will continue. We want residents to make sure they are closing and locking their doors and windows during this high human-bear conflict year in addition to securing all outside attractants.”
Colorado has apparently had an uptick in bear encounters, and wildlife officials believe it’s due to drought conditions that have made food sources for the bears more scarce. Thus, they are willing to take bigger risks to find food, which is leading them into areas populated by humans.
