'No Bear Attack' At State Park: Colorado Parks And Wildlife

GOLDEN, CO – Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials announced that reports of a bear attack at Golden Gate Canyon State Park Wednesday were incorrect.

A woman hiking with her dog was taken to St. Anthony's hospital with undisclosed injuries around 1:40 p.m. from Golden Gate Canyon State Park.

"After an investigation of the area and subsequent interview with the woman, CPW officials have determined that no bear attack occurred," The parks and wildlife department said in a statement.

Emergency dispatchers responded to reports of a bear attack on the Coyote Trail near Colorado Hwy 46 and Mountain Base Road, said Cherokee Blake, Gilpin County Sheriff's spokeswoman. Gilpin County Sheriff's deputies arrived at the park around 1:20 p.m., Clay said.

Wildlife officers and park rangers "searched a two-acre area around the scene, which was on the Coyote Trail at the state park, and did not find any evidence of wildlife active in the area," CPS said.

The trail was reopened and park officials said there was no danger to the public. No other reports of injuries or wildlife encounters had been received in the area, rangers said.

Clay said hikers should be careful around wildlife in the fall. "Be vigilant. Don't hike with both earbuds in, leave one out," he said. If you encounter a bear or mountain lion on the trail, "don't run and speak firmly," Clay said.

In the fall, bears are more active because they enter a feeding-frenzy state called "hypophagia" where they must consume 20,000 calories per day to build fat supplies for winter hibernation. Colorado Parks and Wildlife offers resources to become "Bear Aware" as more humans encounter the animals.

The CPW offered these tips if you do encounter a bear in the wild:

If You Surprise a Bear on a Trail
• Stand still, stay calm and let the bear identify you and leave. Talk in a normal tone of voice. Be sure the bear has an escape route.
• Never run or climb a tree.
• If you see cubs, their mother is usually close by. Leave the area immediately.
If the Bear Doesn’t Leave
• A bear standing up is just trying to identify what you are by getting a better look and smell.
• Wave your arms slowly overhead and talk calmly. If the bear huffs, pops it jaws or stomps a paw, it wants you to give it space.
• Step off the trail to the downhill side, keep looking at the bear and slowly back away until the bear is out of sight.
If the Bear Approaches
• A bear knowingly approaching a person could be a food-conditioned bear looking for a handout or, very rarely, an aggressive bear. Stand your ground. Yell or throw small rocks in the direction of the bear, not directly at the animal.
• Get out your bear spray and use it when the bear is about 40 feet away.
• If you’re attacked, don’t play dead. Fight back with anything available. People have successfully defended them­selves with pen knives, trekking poles, and even bare hands.

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