[News] Bear storms luxury hotel and attacks security guard

A bear has been euthanized days after it attacked a security guard at a luxury hotel in Colorado.

 

The attack, which was captured on security footage, occurred on Monday night, Oct. 23, at the St. Regis Aspen Resort in Aspen.

 

The on-duty security guard went to investigate reports of a bear inside the hotel when he saw the bear in the kitchen, Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) said in a statement released Tuesday, Oct. 24.

 

The security footage shows the bear roaming around the kitchen. A few seconds later, the security guard enters and looks around the kitchen as he heads in the direction of the bear. The security guard then backs up as the bear approaches. The bear swipes at him, knocking him to the ground, before running away.

 

 

The victim called 911 and was taken to a nearby hospital, where he received treatment for scratches to his back and was later released.

 

Wildlife officers were notified of the attack at 11 p.m. local time Monday and remained in the area following the sudden attack to search for the animal, CPW said.

 

Wildlife officers were eventually able to capture the bear early Wednesday, Oct. 25, CPW said in an update.

 

They spotted the animal near Conner Park and “hazed the bear into a tree at the park” around 2 a.m. Wednesday, CPW said. They used a tranquilizer gun to immobilize the bear then removed it from the tree using an Aspen Fire ladder truck, took it away from the area and humanely euthanized it per CPW policy, the agency said.

 

Investigating officers discovered that the bear had entered the hotel through a series of doors near the courtyard, according to CPW.

 

Wildlife officers observed eight other bears moving around downtown Aspen amid the search for the bear involved in the attack, CPW said.