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# Colorado Reports Record 10 Bear Attacks as Drought Drives Conflicts
- URL: https://www.theamericanquorum.com/state-news-colorado-2026-09-16-a/
- Published: 2026-09-16T05:24:32.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-16T05:24:32.000Z
- Description: Colorado has confirmed a record 10 bear attacks in 2026 after two recent incidents in the southwest, prompting renewed warnings to secure food, trash, vehicles, doors and windows.
- Author: News Desk
- Tags: State News, Colorado

Colorado has recorded 10 bear attacks on people in 2026, the highest annual total in state records, after two new incidents in the southwest left a camper with a puncture wound and a sleeping teenager with scratches.

[Colorado Parks and Wildlife said](https://cpw.state.co.us/news/09142026/cpws-southwest-region-responds-two-reported-bear-attacks-recent-days?ref=theamericanquorum.com) a black bear apparently bit a woman through her tent at Park Creek Campground near South Fork around 5:30 a.m. Friday, Sept. 11\. Two days later, a bear entered a Durango condominium through a cracked bedroom window and swiped a 17-year-old who was under blankets. Both victims received nonfatal injuries.

The campground incident appears to have been a surprise encounter rather than deliberate aggression, CPW concluded. Investigators found bite and claw marks on the tent, a paw impression and dark hairs. The Rio Grande National Forest closed the campground for the weekend, and it then closed for the season on Sept. 14\. Wildlife officers did not capture that bear but said the isolated location and closure substantially reduced the immediate threat.

The Durango case presented a different risk. CPW said the bear entered the bedroom, left after the teenager screamed and then briefly re-entered. Officers also received a report that a bear entered another nearby home the following morning. They set a trap and urged residents to lock windows and doors and remove outdoor attractants because a bear repeatedly entering homes represents a human-safety threat.

State wildlife officials attribute this year’s unusually high conflict level largely to drought reducing berries, fruits, insects and other natural food. Bears are also in hyperphagia, the intense feeding period before denning, when they may seek as many as 20,000 calories a day and take greater risks around neighborhoods. The latest [U.S. Drought Monitor](https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/?ref=theamericanquorum.com), released Sept. 10 with data valid Sept. 8, reported continued dry weather and worsening conditions in parts of southwest Colorado.

The record does not mean every bear sighting is an attack. CPW counts an attack when a bear injures or kills a person. But the combination of scarce natural food and the autumn feeding period increases the practical importance of securing anything that smells edible.

For homes, CPW says residents should keep garbage indoors or in bear-resistant containers, remove bird feeders, clean grills and lock doors, windows, garages and vehicles. Leaving accessible trash or feeders can violate state law or local ordinances. The agency’s [Living with Bears guidance](https://cpw.state.co.us/living-bears?ref=theamericanquorum.com) says people should never approach or feed a bear, should stay calm and give it an escape route, and should not run or climb a tree.

Campers should use food lockers where available, latch bear-proof dumpsters, and store food, beverages and scented toiletries in a locked vehicle or approved container—not inside a tent. Bear spray can be effective outdoors when carried accessibly and used as directed, but CPW warns never to discharge it inside a tent.

Anyone facing an immediate threat or injury should call 911\. Other bear activity and conflicts should be reported promptly to CPW so officers can evaluate patterns and decide whether intervention is needed. [Independent reporting on the two incidents](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/sep/15/colorado-bear-attacks?ref=theamericanquorum.com) also emphasized the agency’s statewide warning: basic steps such as securing trash and locking entry points can reduce the food rewards that draw bears back to people.