Two Bear Attacks in 48 Hours Push Colorado to Record 10 in 2026
Two black bear attacks in southwestern Colorado within 48 hours have brought the state's 2026 total to 10 reported attacks on humans, a total officials described as unprecedented. The Guardian
The first incident occurred around 5:30 a.m. Friday, Sept. 11, 2026, at Park Creek Campground in Rio Grande National Forest near South Fork. A woman inside a tent heard a growl and felt something strike the tent wall. She sustained a puncture wound to her right forearm, consistent with a black bear bite through fabric. Colorado Parks and Wildlife
The victim called the South Fork Police Department. Colorado Parks and Wildlife received the report at 6:22 a.m. Emergency workers treated her at the scene. She later received follow-up care at Rio Grande Hospital, where District Wildlife Manager Jeremy Gallegos met her and collected a swab sample from the injury.
Officers examining the tent found holes and marks indicating a bite, with mud and dirt smeared on both sides of the wall. On the opposite wall they documented three claw marks, scratches and a paw impression in dirt. Several dark hairs were recovered outside the tent. Monte Vista area wildlife manager Rick Basagoitia assessed the bite as more likely an act of surprise than aggression.
The second incident occurred around 2 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, at a condo on Escalante Drive near Home Depot in Durango. A bear ripped off a bedroom window screen, pushed open a cracked window fully and tore down the curtain while entering. Inside was a sleeping 17-year-old girl.
The bear walked to the bedside table, sniffed the girl's head under blankets and made a huffing sound. The girl, roused, hid under the blankets. The bear then swiped her stomach, leaving three scratch marks. It ran to the foot of the bed, paused briefly, then exited through the same window. District wildlife manager Luke Clancy said she was fortunate to have multiple blankets covering her when the bear swiped.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife published its bulletin on the two incidents on Sept. 14, 2026, datelined Durango. The agency defines a bear attack as an incident in which a human is bodily injured or killed by a bear. The Rio Grande National Forest closed Park Creek Campground for the remainder of the weekend. The campground seasonally closed for the year on Sept. 14. Officers concluded the Park Creek investigation without capturing the bear and determined there was no continued threat to public health and safety at that time.
State officials attribute increased incursions to statewide drought that has reduced natural foods including berries, fruits and insects. Black bears preparing to hibernate need up to 20,000 calories per day and have turned to human residences for new food sources. Between Jan. 1 and Aug. 13, 2026, Colorado recorded 6,129 bear-related reports, a nearly 97% increase from 2025, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife. ABC News The 2026 incident volume is nearly four times higher than the five-year average. Rocky Mountain PBS In August 2026, a bear broke into a New Mexico man's home and mauled him to death. Wildlife officials urged the public to secure trash and lock windows, doors, garages and vehicles.
The broader context here is a tighter squeeze on food and timing. Drought shrinks the natural food supply just as bears need the most calories before winter, so more bears enter campgrounds and neighborhoods. That overlap makes close contact in tents and bedrooms more likely, where a startled bear can injure a person without hunting them. For managers, the near-term questions involve campground closures, targeted aversive conditioning — teaching bears to avoid people through unpleasant experiences — or removal, and compliance with food and trash storage before hibernation.
