BRECKENRIDGE, Colo. -- A young black bear wandered into the downtown area, and it appeared that no one was more scared than the animal itself.

The bear meandered through parking lots, past Main Street shops and then up Ski Hill Road before retreating to the safety of the woods Tuesday afternoon.

"I was driving down Park going to First Bank and the thing came shooting out in front of me," said Breckenridge resident Joe Hicks. "It was like five feet away. I barely missed it. It was very scared."

Police said they were worried that the bear's mother might be nearby, but she never showed up. Officials said the bear was not in danger and there were no efforts to get in its way.

"We usually just try to monitor it so something bad doesn't happen," Sgt. Roman Stachniw said. "We stay in the general area and let it go where it wants to go. Bears usually have a good idea of where they want to go."

The Colorado Department of Wildlife says there are between 8,000 and 12,000 black bears in the state.

Additional Resources:

• Living In Bear Country
• Black Bear Page