A teenage employee at a Colorado camp was lucky to find himself alive after fighting off a bear on Sunday, July 9, morning. After waking from his sleep due to a “crunching sound" at 4 a.m., 19-year-old Dylan discovered that a Bear was biting was his head while trying to drag him away. Dylan, who preferred to reveal his first name only, teaches survival and wildlife skills at the Glacier View Ranch to the campers. The ranch is situated in Boulder County near the town of Ward.
Bear attacks ranch staff
In an interview with CBS4, Dylan stated that he never entertained the thought of being attacked by a bear.
He also said that when he awoke to hear the crunching sound, he was in a “lot of pain” and realized that the animal was holding his head while dragging him across the ground. Jennifer Churchill, the spokeswoman for the Colorado Parks and Wildlife, stated that the creature tried to take Dylan away from the camp. However, the teenager punched the animal with all his might to escape from its grasp.
Churchill also shared that Dylan’s yelling alerted other staff members of the ranch who created a ruckus, which eventually leads to the animal going away. Dylan states that he hit the bear with all his strength and even poked its eyes before escaping from its hold. However, even within that time, the bear had dragged Dylan for about 10 feet from where he was sleeping.
After chasing away the beast, the teenager was given emergency first aid while the other ranch officials awaited paramedic support. He has received nine staples to seal the gash made by the bear on the back of his head, apart from an animal bite shot. Currently, the teenager is doing well and has returned to his duties at the camp to finish the ongoing season.
Officials searching the bear for euthanization
With the help of tracker hounds, wildlife management groups are trying to track down the animal for euthanization. The officials state that they may also use traps to lure the bear. Churchill said that many citizens get downright upset when wildlife officials decide to put down animals.
However, she reasons that this is an important step, which is taken for public safety. For the strange beast, euthanization is the act of putting an animal to death by injecting lethal substances in its blood stream, or by withholding specific medical treatments. According to reports, in the last decade, Colorado has seen close to 15 and 20 bear attacks.
