A 17-year-old girl in Durango, Colorado, reportedly woke up to a black bear climbing through her bedroom window, clawing at her and then returning through the same opening a second time before finally fleeing.
KOB 4 Albuquerque reporter Hunter Murdaugh described the attack as one of the most alarming examples yet of a year in which bear encounters have surged across Colorado and nearby parts of the region.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife said the bear used a small outdoor couch near the girl’s bedroom window to climb up and force its way through a screen.
“There was like a little outdoor couch outside of her bedroom window,” John Livingston, with Colorado Parks and Wildlife, told KOB 4. “Bear got up onto it, went through the screen of her open window that she said was cracked open.”
The animal then pushed the window farther open and climbed all the way into the room.
The Bear Came Back a Second Time
According to Murdaugh’s report, the bear entered the bedroom while the teenager was asleep and woke her.
The animal clawed at her, prompting the girl to scream.
The bear ran back out through the window, but the danger was not over.
It immediately came back inside.
Only after the teenager continued yelling did the bear finally leave for good.
That detail makes the encounter especially frightening. A wild animal getting into a house is already unusual, but having it retreat and then return almost immediately removes any sense that the first escape meant the danger had passed.
The girl’s exact injuries were not detailed in the report, but the incident was serious enough to be counted among a record number of bear attacks on humans in Colorado this year.
Colorado Has Seen a Record Number of Bear Attacks
Colorado Parks and Wildlife has confirmed 10 bear attacks on people across the state this year, Murdaugh reported.
That is the highest number recorded since the agency began tracking such incidents in 1966.
Durango itself has also seen more bears moving through town than usual.
The bedroom attack came shortly after another incident near South Fork, where a camper was bitten through her tent.
Taken together, the cases show how much more frequently people and bears are crossing paths this year.
Wildlife officers say the problem is not simply that there are bears around. Durango sits in what Livingston described as some of the best bear habitat in North America.
The bigger issue is that more of those animals are moving into populated areas and looking for food.
Bears Are Trying to Eat as Much as 20,000 Calories a Day
Livingston explained that this time of year is critical for bears because they are preparing for winter denning.
“They’re trying to pack on as many as 20,000 calories a day to get ready for denning over the winter,” he said.
That means bears are constantly searching for calorie-rich food.
In a normal year, many would stay in the high country and rely more heavily on natural food sources.
But Murdaugh reported that years of drought and a late spring freeze have reduced many of those foods.
That shortage is pushing some animals closer to communities.
Livingston said bears that might normally remain farther from people are following their noses into towns such as Durango, where garbage and other human-provided food can be easier to find.
That is one of the most important parts of this story.
The bear did not necessarily enter the neighborhood because it had become aggressive toward people in general. Wildlife officials say hunger and food availability are major drivers of the movement.
Human Food Can Draw Bears Into Neighborhoods
Colorado Parks and Wildlife is urging residents to secure trash, keep windows closed and avoid creating easy food sources near homes.
“It’s really up to humans to do their part,” Livingston said.
He noted that living in bear country comes with a responsibility to avoid attracting animals into places where conflicts are more likely.
“We’re living in some of the best bear habitat you can find in North America right here in Durango,” he said, “and part of that comes with understanding what it takes to live responsibly with bears and not be luring them into our areas.”
Trash is one of the biggest concerns because bears can quickly learn where food is available.
Once an animal begins associating houses with an easy meal, it can keep returning.
An open or cracked window can also become a problem if smells from inside the home draw wildlife closer.
In this case, the teenager’s window was reportedly cracked open before the bear pushed through the screen.
That does not make the attack predictable, but it does show how a small opening can become a serious vulnerability when a large animal is already nearby.
Bear Sightings Are Increasing Across the Region
Murdaugh’s report also highlighted bear activity outside Colorado.
In Albuquerque, Michael Flores recorded a bear moving through a neighborhood near Wyoming Boulevard and Menaul Boulevard.
Flores said he saw the animal cross the street directly in front of his home.
He called police and continued watching the bear until officers arrived.
The sighting did not involve an attack, but it added to the growing number of reports showing bears appearing in places where residents may not expect to see them.
The contrast between the Albuquerque sighting and the Durango bedroom attack shows how quickly the level of risk can change.
A bear crossing a street may simply move on.
A bear that begins climbing onto structures, approaching windows or finding food near homes can become much more dangerous.
A Reminder of How Close Wildlife Can Get
The Durango attack stands out because it happened in one of the places people usually feel safest: a bedroom.
The teenager was not hiking, camping or walking through the woods.
She was asleep inside her home.
That is what makes the incident so unsettling.
Wildlife encounters are often discussed as risks people take when they enter bear habitat, but in places like Durango, bear habitat and human neighborhoods overlap.
Murdaugh’s report makes clear that this overlap is becoming harder to ignore during a year when natural food is limited and bears are under pressure to eat as much as possible before winter.
For residents, the advice from wildlife officials is simple: secure garbage, remove easy food sources and keep access points such as windows closed when bears are active nearby.
For the 17-year-old girl who woke up to a black bear in her bedroom, that warning is no longer theoretical.
It became real in the most frightening way possible.
Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, John developed a love for the great outdoors early on. With years of experience as a wilderness guide, he’s navigated rugged terrains and unpredictable weather patterns. John is also an avid hunter and fisherman who believes in sustainable living. His focus on practical survival skills, from building shelters to purifying water, reflects his passion for preparedness. When he’s not out in the wild, you can find him sharing his knowledge through writing, hoping to inspire others to embrace self-reliance.
