The medical incident that occurred near Beaver Reservoir on Friday afternoon has been determined to not be a bear attack.

According to a press release from Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW), officers responded to a reported wildlife encounter on private property near Beaver Reservoir on Friday afternoon. A witness had reported at 12:40 p.m. finding an unconscious man in his camper home to the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office and thought it was a bear attack.

The man was airlifted to a local hospital and is receiving treatment. CPW officers found, through investigation at the scene and in consultation with medical personnel, that the man’s injuries were not from a bear or other wildlife.

However, CPW officers did find evidence of a bear presence inside the home and nearby vehicle, according to the press release. CPW also noted that other bear break-ins have been reported recently in the area.

Per CPW, the bear entering an occupied dwelling shows a “lack of fear of humans and escalation in behavior creating a public safety threat.” CPW will work with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service to track the bear through scent in an attempt to lethally remove the bear.

According to CPW, bear activity across the Front Range has increased most likely because of drought and depleting sources of natural food for the animals. CPW says that to reduce conflicts with bears, people should keep trash secured and only set it out on the morning of pickup. Bird feeders should also be removed until after Thanksgiving, cars and windows should be locked to prevent bear break-ins and grills should be kept clean after each use.

Learn more about living with bears here.

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