ASPEN, Colo. -- The Colorado Division of Wildlife is actively looking for a black bear that attacked and injured an Aspen woman in her home Monday night.

The bear will be killed if it is found, the DOW said.

"A person certainly has a right to feel safe in their own home," said Perry Will, DOW Area Wildlife Manager. "This was an unprovoked attack and, if located, the offending bear will be put down. Bears that break into secured homes and bears that are aggressive toward people are too dangerous to relocate."

Maureen Hirsch, who lives in the western part of the city, had gone to main floor of her home to work in the office when her small dog began barking frantically. It was just after 10 p.m.

When Hirsch turned around she was confronted by the bear.

"He must have observed me coming, and all I saw was his head ... of course I was shocked to see a bear," said Hirsch.

The woman screamed and turned to open the front door to let the bear out of the house, but the bear struck her with its claw, leaving lacerations on her back and chest.

Her husband, Tom, was sleeping upstairs. He heard his wife scream and called 911.

Audio: Listen To 911 Call

The bear stayed in the house and continued feeding in the kitchen until officers arrived.

It escaped before Division of Wildlife officers arrived a short time later. They deployed two traps in the area, in an attempt to contain the bear, but have not been successful so far.

Hirsch, was transported to Aspen Valley Hospital for treatment.

An initial investigation indicated that the bear got into the home on Sneaky Lane by physically forcing open a pair of locked French doors.

The bear skipped the refrigerator in the kitchen and the cat food. It apparently went for a bag of candy and an unopened container of chocolate toffee.

"It was a very selective bear," said Tom.

Wildlife officers said they found nothing on the property that might have guided the bear to the home.

Based on the description of the bear and the method of entry, DOW officers believe that the same bear may be responsible for several other break-ins and attempted break-ins in the area.

"Most of these cases start with bears getting into a home through an open door or window," explained Will. "Once they get in and are rewarded by finding food, it is fairly easy for these powerful animals to force their way into other homes in search of food."

DOW and Aspen officials have been urging area residents to keep doors and windows locked this summer to minimize bear problems in the community. Residents and visitors have also been barraged with a stream of messages about trash, pet food, birdfeeders and other items that attract bears.

"Our goal is to protect the community by enforcing our wildlife ordinances, responding to calls involving problem bears, and empowering residents and visitors to take precautions to prevent bear encounters," said Community Safety Supervisor Gretchen Born.

Aspen police responded to 180 calls about bears in July 2007, 22 calls in July 2008, and 138 calls in July 2009.

So why the rash of bear break-ins? Wildlife officers who have examined the area's natural food sources are reporting some discouraging findings. The moist spring may have been too moist in some areas and appears to have been bad for plant health.

DOW officers have noted damaged berry crops and localized crop failures as well as the presence of some form of plant "rust" and some kind of fungus or mold on the plants, which impairs productivity. Wildlife officials are reaching out to plant ecologists to determine the cause and extent of damage to natural food sources.

Despite these localized food failures, there do appear to be other areas where berry crops are in good shape, the DOW said. However, bears may be spending less time looking for those areas when human food sources are readily available.

In addition, the onset of cooler weather may signal more challenges for residents living in bear country because bear problems may get worse before they get better, said Kevin Wright, DOW District Wildlife Manager for the Aspen area.

"In the past few days, we've seen temperatures dropping during the night," Wright said. "These cooler temperatures will signal bears to increase their calorie intake and prepare for hibernation."

As winter approaches, bears are compelled to gorge themselves, a condition known as hyperphagia. During this period bears will feed for approximately 20 hours each day. An average black bear will consume approximately 20,000 calories each day in an effort to put on considerable body fat to survive winter hibernation.

"The Division of Wildlife implores residents in Colorado's high country take bear precautions seriously," Will said. "The DOW does not want to put down bears, but we absolutely will if it is required to protect public safety. If everyone helps out by properly securing their trash, keeping doors and windows secure, feeding pets indoors and taking down birdfeeders, it will give bears the incentive to seek out available natural food sources outside of town."

Additional Resources:

For more information about bears, visit AspenBears.com or call the Aspen police Bear Hotline at (970) 429-1768.