BOY TREATED AND RELEASED AFTER BEING INJURED BY BEAR

BOY TREATED AND RELEASED AFTER BEING INJURED BY BEAR

A 14-year old Texas boy was treated and released from a Salida hospital for injuries suffered in an attack by a black bear around 1 a.m. Tuesday morning.

The boy and his brother were sleeping in a tent at a private campground near Coaldale, Colorado when the bear came into the tent. The boy was bitten on the left hand and received some scratches and bruises during the struggle with the bear.

Colorado Division of Wildlife (DOW) officials will set a trap for the bear tonight to try to capture it.

The rest of the boy’s family was sleeping in a hard-sided camper nearby. They took him to Heart-of-the-Rockies Regional Medical Center where he received stitches and antibiotics to prevent infection.

“The boy did everything right,” said Jim Aragon, area wildlife manager from Salida. “He fought back and was able to fend off the bear. After a few seconds of struggle, the bear broke off the attack and ran away.”

Wildlife officials remind campers in Colorado to reduce the risk from bear attacks by keeping a clean camp. Never leave food, garbage or other attractants lying around your campsite.

The DOW has had calls about a bear getting into garbage containers in the area, but the investigating wildlife officer could not determine why the bear came into the tent in this incident. The DOW will destroy the bear if they can lure it into a trap.

Here are some tips for avoid bear conflicts when camping:

Keep your camp clean.
Store food and garbage properly at all times.
Keep your tent and sleeping bag free of all food smells.
Store the clothes you wore while cooking or eating with your food.
Burn all grease off grills and camp stoves.
Wipe table and clean up eating area thoroughly.
Store your food safely.
Store all your food and coolers in your car trunk or suspended from a tree – at least 10 feet off the ground and 4 feet out from the tree trunk.
Don’t underestimate the ingenuity of a bear! Vehicles are not bear proof.
Dispose of garbage properly.
Put it in bear-proof garbage cans where available or secure it with your food and then pack it out.
Don’t burn or bury garbage. Bears will dig it up.
Sleep well away from food areas.
Move some distance away from your cooking area or food storage site.
Store any toiletries safely. Store them with your food - the smell of toiletries may attract bears.

For more information: http://wildlife.state.co.us/Education/LivingWithWildlife/BearCountry.asp.