Homeowner sustained severe lacerations to the neck and head. 

Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) said this morning that it is searching for a bear who broke into an Aspen home overnight and attacked the homeowner. According to a CPW press release, the homeowner discovered the bear early in the morning after hearing noises in the home. 

"The incident began about 1:30 a.m. when a homeowner responded to noises in his house. A large bear had entered the home through the front door," CPW said. 

When the homeowner encountered the bear, it attacked them with paw swipes, which left them with severe lacerations to the head and neck. Luckily, it sounds like the homeowner will recover. 

"The victim was transported to the hospital and is undergoing surgery. The victim is stable and the injuries are not life threatening at this point," said the CPW. 

CPW officials are now searching for the bear using tracking hounds. It matches the description of a bear that has been frequenting an Aspen neighborhood for several days and may be the same animal that has been known to get into trash cans for several years. CPW has attempted to haze, trap, and relocate that bear unsuccessfully. 

The agency says the bear will be euthanized when it is found due to the severity of the attack. 

 While bear-human attacks aren't common, they do happen. This is the first in the Aspen area this year, but last year CPW responded to three. 

There is currently an investigation underway to find out how the bear was able to enter the home, but at this time the CPW says it hasn't been confirmed whether the front door was open, closed, or locked. 

This unfortunate event reminds us all that living in bear country has its risks to both humans and animals. The best thing we can do is to take precautions to ensure that bears don't get used to coming to human spaces looking for easy food sources like unlocked trash cans and more. It is as much for their safety as it is for ours. 

"Bears will work hard to get the calories they need, and can easily damage property, vehicles, and homes. Bears that become aggressive in their pursuit of an easy meal must often be destroyed," according to CPW. "Every time we’re forced to destroy a bear, it’s not just the bear that loses. We all lose a little piece of the wildness that makes Colorado so special."

 Essential information about living in bear country can be found on the CPW website. 

Watch this video of a bear trying to open a locked trash can to see exactly how strong and persistent they can be when searching for food.