Bear bites man relaxing in hammock, Colorado officials say

Wildlife officials in Colorado are searching for the bear that bit a camper who was relaxing in his hammock. 

The attack happened late Saturday night at a campground near the Purgatoire River in Trinidad, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife. 

The man reportedly left the campground and went to a motel, where an ambulance was called to transport him to a hospital. 

A picture provided by CPW shows a 2-to-3-inch bite wound. Officials said the camper is expected to be OK. 

“Bear attacks are rare and we take them very seriously,” said Mike Brown, a CPW area wildlife manager.

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Wildlife officials said the attack comes amid a rise in Montana's grizzly bear population and an increase in sightings.

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The victim reportedly said he didn't have food on him at the time of the attack, which raises fears that the bear could attack again.

Wildlife officials went back to the campsite and set traps for the bear. Officials with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service were also brought in to help locate the bear. 

If it's caught, the bear will be euthanized. 

Bear attacks are rare. This was the third in Colorado this year, according to CPW.

Officials say bears are rarely aggressive are typically scared off by noise. If a bear attacks, CPW advises people to fight back and not play dead. 

"People have successfully defended themselves with pen knives, trekking poles, and even bare hands," CPW states. 

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The attack happened in the Groom Creek area of the Prescott National Forest.

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