Animals Break Through Glass Door of 74-Year-Old Man’s Home, Clawing at Him as He Tries to Evict Them

A 74-year-old man from Colorado sustained injuries after a black bear, accompanied by three cubs, crashed through his sliding glass door, as reported by the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Department.

The incident occurred around 8:30 PM on Thursday when the residents of the home were startled by a loud crash and discovered the bears entering through the sliding door that had been left slightly open. The elderly man attempted to drive the adult female bear away using a kitchen chair, but the bear knocked him against a wall and began clawing at him, according to the wildlife agency.

During the encounter, the bear charged at the man, inflicting injuries to his head, neck, arms, shoulder, abdomen, and calf before he and the other residents managed to escape to a bedroom, where they locked themselves in for safety. A sheriff’s deputy from Lake City, a small town in southwestern Colorado with a population of about 400, arrived at the scene and successfully chased the bears away. Medical responders treated the injured man at his home, although his identity was not disclosed.

“It’s certainly lucky we didn’t have a fatality because it was close,” said Colorado wildlife officer Lucas Martin in a statement regarding the incident. While the man's injuries were serious, officials stated that he did not require hospitalization, according to a statement released by Colorado Parks and Wildlife on Saturday.

Following the incident, state wildlife managers located the four bears in nearby trees and euthanized them. This action is a standard procedure to address problematic bears that have developed a tendency to associate humans with food. Martin explained, “It creates a very complex situation to mitigate. Unfortunately, cub bears that are taught these behaviors by their mother may result in generations of conflict between bears and people.”

Bears are a common sight in and around Lake City, and the wildlife agency had received multiple reports over the summer and early fall of bears breaking into unoccupied homes and garages in the vicinity. This incident marked Colorado's first reported bear attack of the year; in total, there were six bear attacks reported in 2023.

Tim Daly from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife noted that as human habitation expands into forested areas, interactions with wildlife are likely to increase. He advised against confronting a bear directly, emphasizing that turning and running can provoke a chase response.

Instead, Daly recommended that individuals slowly turn and back away if they find themselves face-to-face with wildlife. He also highlighted that black bears generally pose little danger to humans, and attacks are rare. “It might take a swat at you, but bears don’t seek us out to attack or harm us,” he stated.