Sleeping Humans, Hungry Bears

A grizzly bear standing on a forest path

Two Colorado black bears found their way to sleeping humans the same weekend—one through a tent wall, another through a bedroom window.

Story Snapshot

Colorado Parks and Wildlife reported two separate black bear attacks days apart.
A camper near South Fork was bitten through her tent wall at Park Creek Campground.
A 17-year-old in Durango woke to a bear climbing through a cracked window and swiping her.
Officials link rising conflicts to hungry bears and human growth into bear country.

Two Attacks, Two Sleeping Victims, One Weekend

Colorado Parks and Wildlife said two people were injured in confirmed black bear attacks over the weekend. One case happened in a tent at Park Creek Campground in Rio Grande National Forest near South Fork. The other happened inside a Durango condo bedroom.

The agency’s account says the camper was bitten on the arm through her tent wall and needed hospital care for a puncture wound. The teen in Durango reported scratches and bruising on her stomach. Both injuries were nonfatal.

Field officers reported tent damage that matched a bite, including holes and marks in the fabric. That detail supports the camper’s report that the bear made contact from outside the tent. The Denver Gazette noted those physical signs at the campsite scene. Officers did not identify the bear on site.

Authorities did not release the woman’s name. This kind of campsite encounter often ties back to food smells left in or near tents, which draw bears that are foraging hard late in the season.

Durango Bedroom Entry Through a Cracked Window

In Durango, a black bear ripped off a window screen, opened the window further, and climbed into a condo bedroom around 2 a.m. The 17-year-old woke to the bear and said it swiped her stomach before leaving.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife placed the condo on Escalante Drive near a big-box store. The teen had three scratches and bruising and received medical treatment. Wildlife officers searched the area but did not catch the bear that night.

Agency staff later said they did not see a continued public threat from that specific bear at the time of reporting. That could mean the bear moved on, or that they didn’t find immediate patterns like repeat break-ins.

It also points to a common urban-wildland edge problem in Colorado towns. Open windows with food scents, pet food, or unsecured trash can quickly turn a curious bear into a confident intruder.

Record Conflict Pressure Meets Everyday Habits

Colorado Parks and Wildlife has warned for years that bear-human conflicts are rising. The agency links that trend to expanding neighborhoods in bear range and fewer natural foods during drought years. When berries and acorns fall short, bears push closer to people, especially in late summer and fall.

That season, called hyperphagia, drives nonstop feeding to pack on fat before denning. The agency’s bear management page says this pressure has grown across the state and the country.

Officials and local outlets tied these two attacks to a year pacing toward record conflict levels. Reports said the weekend cases marked the tenth confirmed attack this year. That number came through newsroom summaries of agency statements.

The round figure matters because it signals more risk near homes, camps, and trailheads. But it also signals something else: small choices—trash lids, snacks in tents, open windows—now carry bigger stakes than many realize.

Risk Cuts That Work Right Now

Campers should store all food, trash, and scented items in bear-resistant lockers or vehicles, never tents. Cook, eat, and clean at least 70 yards from sleeping areas. Keep camp clean, and pack out everything that smells.

At home, shut and lock ground-floor windows at night, especially near kitchens. Do not leave pet food outside. Use bear-resistant trash carts and set them out only on pickup day. These steps remove the payoffs that teach bears to see people as a food source.

2 injured as bear attacks reach record high in Colorado amid drought pic.twitter.com/j4sxCGUAY9

— Daily Camera (@dailycamera) September 16, 2026

For homeowners where bears already roam, consider small upgrades that pay off. Add window stops so a cracked window cannot be forced wide. Install motion lights that flood entries. Swap to solid-core garage doors and secure the door to the house.

If you meet a black bear at close range, stay calm, stand tall, make noise, and back away slowly. Do not run. If a black bear makes contact, fight back with whatever you have. That advice mirrors long-standing agency guidance.

What These Attacks Say About Living in Bear Country

These two cases show how fast a routine night can flip when bears are desperate for calories. A thin screen and a few inches of open window offered a path into a child’s room. A food smell, or even just curiosity, led a bear to test a tent wall with its teeth.