DENVER (KDVR) – A bear attacked a security guard inside the kitchen of an Aspen resort earlier this week, the Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) department confirmed.
Officials with CPW were dispatched to the St. Regis Aspen Resort late on Monday night, after a security guard investigating reports of the bear surprised the animal inside the hotel’s kitchen, according to CPW. The bear reportedly responded by attacking the guard, scratching his back and knocking him to the ground.
The man was able to flee and call 911, CPW said in a news release. He was taken to a local hospital for treatment and released early Tuesday.
Wildlife officers later learned the bear “had entered the hotel through a series of doors near the courtyard” before finding the hotel’s kitchen.
CPW officers were unable to immediately find and tranquilize the bear, though they learned of its location the following morning. The animal was not captured Tuesday morning out of concerns for public safety, the CPW said.
Officers were set to return Tuesday evening to resume the search. A public information officer for the CPW told Nexstar on Wednesday afternoon that she was unaware of any update concerning the bear’s capture.
“This incident serves as an unfortunate reminder that bears are still active as they prepare for hibernation,” CPW wrote in its news release. “While it is common for people to see bears and other wildlife inside Aspen town limits, it is everyone’s responsibility to give wildlife space and remember the importance of being ‘bear aware’ at all times.”
