Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) has confirmed two more black bear attacks in southern Colorado, bringing the state's 2026 total to 10, the most on record. CPW counts an attack as any incident in which a bear injures or kills a person. Some early news reports numbered the two incidents as the state's 11th and 12th of the year, but CPW's confirmed total stands at 10.

The first happened early on Sept. 11 at Park Creek Campground in the Rio Grande National Forest near South Fork, where an animal struck a woman's tent and bit her right arm through the fabric. Officers found bite holes, claw marks, mud smears and dark hairs on and around the tent, all consistent with a black bear. About two days later, at roughly 2 a.m. on Sept. 13, a bear tore the screen off a partly open bedroom window at a Durango condominium, climbed inside and swiped at a 17-year-old who was hiding under her blankets, leaving three scratches on her stomach, according to CPW's account of both southern Colorado attacks.

"The bite in this incident was more likely an act of surprise than aggression," said Rick Basagoitia, CPW area wildlife manager in Monte Vista. CPW found no history of conflict at the isolated campground, did not capture the bear, and determined there was no continued threat. The campground closed for the season on Sept. 14. The Durango case is being handled differently. After the bear entered another nearby home the next morning, CPW set a trap and said officers intended to catch and remove it. "This bear has exhibited behavior that threatens human health and safety," said Adrian Archuleta, CPW area wildlife manager in Durango.

The timing matters for anyone who lives, camps or works in bear country. Bears are in hyperphagia, the fall feeding period before denning, and CPW says they can spend up to 22 hours a day eating as they try to take in about 20,000 calories daily. Wildlife officials in Colorado and Montana say drought and poor berry crops have left far less natural food than usual this year.

The two latest attacks followed a Sept. 3 incident in Steamboat Springs, where a bear huffed, popped its jaw and scraped the knee of an adult napping in a backyard patio chair before a neighbor drove it off with bear spray. A CPW spokesperson called it the state's eighth attack of the year. Earlier incidents included a woman in her 80s attacked after a bear broke into her Estes Park home, an angler injured in Jefferson County, an unhoused man bitten while sleeping in Aspen, and a man attacked outside an apartment laundry room in Eagle-Vail in late August.

Colorado Bear Reports Run 3.6 Times the Five-Year Average

CPW's preliminary bear incident figures show 8,672 reports of bear sightings and incidents statewide through Aug. 31, compared with 3,680 through August 2025. Wildlife officers relocated 98 bears, up from 33, and euthanized 294, up from 83. CPW said reported incidents are running 3.6 times the 2020 to 2025 average, with relocations at 3.5 times and euthanizations at 2.7 times their respective averages.

The figures are preliminary, and CPW plans to publish final numbers in its 2027 report. The agency says relocation and euthanasia decisions cover bears hit by vehicles, bears in poor health, bears that attacked people and bears that entered homes. CPW Southwest public information officer John Livingston told The Colorado Sun that a significant share of the euthanasia total involves bears struck by cars, including 39 in Garfield County alone this year, compared with one at the same point last year.

The South Fork camper, Kathleen Baran, told The Colorado Sun that she had no food in her tent and had to punch the bear to free her arm. She said a phone playing a sleep program at low volume may have made animals curious, a possibility she raised herself and that investigators have not confirmed.

Montana Reports One of Its Worst Natural Food Failures

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP) described 2026 in similar terms in late July. "This year is panning out to be one of the worst natural food failure years on record," said Jamie Jonkel, FWP's longtime bear conflict specialist in the Missoula area, in an FWP release republished by the Bozeman Daily Chronicle. "Our regional bear team is working around the clock, and we are asking the public to be patient and to please be diligent with containing all attractants."

Jonkel told MeatEater that spring green-up began in January and February, well before most bears emerged in late April and early May, and that late May frosts hurt chokecherries, serviceberries and mid-elevation huckleberries. By late July, FWP staff in the Missoula area had responded to more than 250 black bear incidents over two months, many involving chicken coops. That figure is regional, not statewide. FWP's grizzly conflict dashboard showed 203 grizzly bear conflicts so far in 2026, compared with 224 for all of 2025, KULR reported, and FWP euthanized two grizzlies near Lincoln after a series of conflicts.

Not every attack is tied to food stress. A woman walking her dog near Columbia Falls, Montana, was seriously injured by a female grizzly with a cub on Aug. 31. FWP investigators found a cached deer carcass about 100 yards off the trail and concluded it was a surprise defensive encounter, so they did not pursue the bear.

Bear Conflicts Reach Utah, New Mexico and Wyoming

The pattern extends beyond two states. Outside's review of bear incident data counted at least 168 black bear incidents in Utah this year and 187 in New Mexico. In Wyoming, Grand Teton National Park staff euthanized a black bear near Delta Lake on Sept. 11 after visitors repeatedly let it get human food and it kept approaching people. Park officials said the bear was removed because of poor decisions by visitors.

The dry backdrop began in winter. Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah and Wyoming all set record-low snowpack water content in eight Western states on April 1, according to the National Integrated Drought Information System.

Officials tie this year's food shortage to those warm, dry conditions. No published analysis has yet measured how much of the 2026 conflict increase is due to drought; natural food crops vary from year to year, and wildlife managers stress that unsecured human food remains a leading driver of conflicts.

Backyard Chickens, Open Windows and Tents Draw the Most Trouble

The greatest risk falls on households at the edge of bear habitat, especially those with chickens, goats, bird feeders, fruit trees or unsecured trash. Campers sleeping in tents, hunters heading into fall seasons, and residents who leave ground-floor windows or garage doors open overnight face added exposure.

Warning signs include tipped trash cans, broken fruit branches, damaged coops, fresh scat or tracks, and a bear that keeps returning to the same property. CPW says a bear that huffs, pops its jaw or stomps a paw feels threatened. If a bear gets into your home, CPW advises leaving immediately if you can do so safely, leaving exit doors open so the bear can escape, calling 911 and staying outside until wildlife officers confirm the bear is gone. For nuisance activity, contact your local CPW or FWP office.

CPW recommends storing trash, animal feed, and other attractants securely, feeding pets indoors, locking accessible windows and doors, and cleaning grills after use. In Colorado, leaving trash or bird feeders where bears can reach them violates state law, according to CPW's living with bears guidance. If you see a black bear, do not run. Move away quietly if it has not noticed you, back away slowly if it has, and if it approaches, hold your ground, wave your arms and yell "Hey, bear!" until it leaves. If a black bear makes contact, CPW says to fight back rather than play dead. Advice differs in grizzly country, so follow state agency guidance there.

Steps That Lower Risk Before Bears Den

FWP urges residents with backyard chickens or goats to protect them with a hot-ground, multi-wire electric fence and says its staff can help with questions. Bear-resistant garbage containers help, and some towns require them, so check local rules before buying one. Renters may need a landlord's help to secure shared dumpsters.

Avoiding the outdoors is not necessary. Carrying bear spray, making noise on trails, keeping food and scented items out of tents, and picking up fallen fruit are proportionate steps. Never approach or feed a bear, and do not try to chase off a bear that is inside a structure.

Most Colorado bears are active from mid-March through early November, according to CPW, so feeding pressure is likely to continue for several more weeks. CPW will release finalized 2026 figures next year, and state agencies continue to post incident updates. Nature World News will follow the latest counts.

The bottom line: Colorado's record 10 attacks and Montana's berry failure point to a fall when hungry bears will keep testing neighborhoods and campsites. Most conflicts start with food people leave within reach, and removing it remains the most effective protection. Report aggressive bears to wildlife officials or 911, and rely on state agency guidance over social media claims.

What Readers Want to Know

How many bear attacks has Colorado recorded in 2026? Colorado Parks and Wildlife has confirmed 10, the most on record. The latest were a bite through a tent near South Fork on Sept. 11 and a scratch injury inside a Durango condominium on Sept. 13.

Why are bears so active right now? Bears are in hyperphagia, the fall feeding period before denning. Officials in Colorado and Montana say drought and poor berry crops have reduced natural food, pushing some bears toward homes and campsites.

Which other states are seeing more conflicts? Montana has reported a sharp rise in conflicts, and Outside counted at least 168 black bear incidents in Utah and 187 in New Mexico this year. In Wyoming, Grand Teton National Park euthanized a food-conditioned black bear on Sept. 11.

Who faces the greatest risk? Households near bear habitat with unsecured trash, pet food, bird feeders, fruit trees or backyard chickens, plus tent campers, hunters and residents who leave windows or garage doors open.

What should I do if I see a black bear? CPW advises never running. Move away quietly if it has not noticed you, back away slowly if it has, and if it approaches, stand your ground, wave your arms and shout until it leaves.

What if a bear gets into my home? Leave if you can do so safely, keep exit doors open for the bear, call 911, and stay outside until wildlife officers say the bear is gone.

When will bear activity ease? CPW says most Colorado bears are active through early November, and activity typically drops once bears enter their dens.