Sleeping Teen, Camper Hurt in Colo. Bear Encounters

Colorado wildlife officials say a bad year for bears just intensified. In the first of two separate incidents just days apart, a black bear bit a woman on Friday through her tent at a southwest Colorado campground in Rio Grande National Forest, near South Fork, report the Guardian and ABC News. Then, on Sunday, another bear approached a slightly open window in Durango, ripped off the screen, and made its way into a 17-year-old girl's bedroom, where it scratched her as she hid under blankets. Both victims were treated for minor injuries.

In the case of the campground encounter, Colorado Parks andWildlife officials say the bear was just surprised, not being aggressive, and the campground in question is now closed, so there are no plans to try to capture that bear, per the Colorado Sun. In the Durango case, a trap has been set to capture that interloper, as it has shown aggression and could be an ongoing threat to residents in the area.

The state has logged 10 bear attacks on people so far in 2026, which officials say is unheard-of, per the Guardian. A local drought is shrinking the natural food supply for black bears, which can need up to 20,000 calories a day before hibernation and are increasingly turning to homes and campsites. Colorado wildlife officers are urging residents and campers to lock doors, windows, and vehicles and secure trash to reduce encounters.