Bear killed after biting man outside of Colorado home

A black bear in Larkspur had to be euthanized on Friday morning after biting a man in the hand just outside of his home.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) were alerted of the attack at about 7:10 a.m. on Friday morning. Responding wildlife officers searched the area for the bear, which had returned to the home.

While it remains unclear exactly what led the bear to bite the man, wildlife officials say the circumstances surrounding the bite appear to involve feeding and habituation.

The bear had to be put down, due to the nature of the incident and inflicting injury to a human, per state policy.

“People think they are doing the right thing by feeding wildlife and that it helps them out when in fact that selfish action causes them to lose their wild nature, is harmful to their wellbeing and in some cases causes them to become dangerous,” CPW Northeast Region Manager Mark Leslie said.

The man later sought treatment in the hospital for his hand and was released.

The bear was taken to a CPW wildlife health lab where a necropsy will be performed to test for rabies. The Tri-County Health Department has also been notified.

“The unlawful feeding of bears and all wildlife is a problem in Larkspur and the greater area and it needs to stop,” Wildlife Officer Sean Dodd stated. “This is a prime example of why laws are in place that prohibit those actions, it leads to the habituation of our wildlife and creates a public safety issue."

Editor's Note: Please do not approach or feed bears. Instead, please do your part to keep bears wild. Simple steps, such as removing bird feeders and securing garbage, can help prevent human-bear conflicts from even happening in the first place. For more tips on bears safety from CPW, click here.