Bears assault two girls as they sleep and depart them badly slashed and bitten
A woman and a teenage girl were left with significant injuries after being bitten and slashed in two separate bear attacks at a Colorado national park in the US
(Image: Getty Images)
Two women were left badly slashed and bitten after being attacked by bears as they slept.
Black bears seemingly targeted the young women at night and left both with a series of nasty wounds and in need of urgent treatment, in what officials believe to be two separate incidents. The terrifying attacks took place in Colorado, in the US.
One victim, a 17-year-old girl who has not been named, was attacked inside her bedroom while a second woman was bitten and scratched while sleeping in a tent while camping at a popular national park. The first incident, which took place at Rio Grande National Forest’s Park Creek Campground on Friday (Sep 11), saw a female camper bitten on the arm through the lining of her tent.
Bear attacks are on the rise in the US (Image: Getty Images)
According to reports, while the victim heard the beast growling, the fact that it attacked from outside her tent meant she could not sneak a peak at the brute.
She was treated at a hospital for a puncture wound. The wounds were consistent with a black bear bite, with park officials later uncovered damning evidence of three claw marks and dirt in a paw impression at the scene of the crime, suggesting a black bear was the culprit. The Rio Grande National Park officially closed for the season on Monday.
The second savage black bear attack took place early Sunday morning. A sleeping 17-year-old girl was rudely woken by a bear tearing down her bedroom window, ripping down curtains as it entered.
Both attacks are believed to have involved black bears (Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)
The terrified teen hid under the covers, but it didn’t stop the bear from sniffing her out. The creature swiped and caught her stomach, leaving three scratch marks.
District wildlife manager Luke Clancy said: “Based on what we know happened in this encounter, the woman is very lucky she had multiple blankets covering her when the bear swiped her.”
The teen reportedly screamed and sat up, startling the bear who made a dash for it out of the window. It had second thoughts and circled back into her room. The girl said the bear left for good when she stood up and began shouting.
There has been a record breaking 10 reported bear attacks on humans this year in Colorado. Bear attacks in the US are rare but experts warn droughts and food shortages mean they are on the rise, and Colorado wildlife officials are warning people to secure homes and remove potential food sources.
