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Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials euthanize a subadult sow bear after it attacked a fisherman in Jefferson County

Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials euthanized a subadult sow bear after it attacked and injured a fisherman in his 60s on a Friday night. The incident occurred near the North Fork Trail in Jefferson County, where the man was walking back to the parking lot after fishing. The bear knocked the man to the ground and bit his legs for several minutes until his friends were able to scare the bear away. The man was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries. This attack marks the sixth bear attack of 2026 so far. State wildlife officials report that bear sightings and conflicts have nearly doubled compared to the same period last year. Experts attribute this increase to the hyperphagia phase, where bears seek to build up fat reserves for winter. Additionally, historic drought conditions have made natural food sources scarce, forcing bears to move into populated areas and forage in trash cans and homes. Officials recommend that people keep trash secured and recreate in groups to minimize human-bear interactions.

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