Bear Claws Boulder County Hiker
Man Escapes Close Encounter Without Major Injury
POSTED: 1:44 p.m. MDT September 9, 2001
UPDATED: 5:44 p.m. MDT September 9, 2001
BOULDER, Colo. -- A man hiking in Boulder County had a close encounter with an angry bear Sunday afternoon, according to 7NEWS.
Kyle Walpole, 28, said that he was walking his dog on the Skunk Creek Trail when he was surprised by a family of bears.
"No sooner had I thought, 'Uh oh, this is bad news,' then I felt the impact (of) getting hit from the back, and I was pushed up against the branches. I realized right away it was most likely the mother bear," Walpole said.
"She had me down for a couple of seconds. As she pulled away, she clawed the clothing that I was wearing and managed to tear that, and I was just pushed up against the bushes for a little while," he said.
The mother bear then took her cub and ran back into the brush, he said.
Walpole said that he feels no ill will toward the bear and understands that the mother was just trying to protect her baby.
The Division of Wildlife searched the area but did not find the bear.
Previous Stories:
- September 7, 2001: City Enforces Bear-Proof Ordinance
- September 5, 2001: DOW: Wildlife Encounters Becoming Unbearable
- September 4, 2001: Bears, Bears Everywhere: Even In Amusement Park
- August 31, 2001: Bear Cub Captured After Jeffco Chase
- August 28, 2001: Neighbors Fighting Over Piles Of Trash
- August 28, 2001: Bear Claws Through Tent, Cutting Woman
- August 23, 2001: 64 Bears Killed In New Mexico
- August 23, 2001: More Bears Sighted In Jefferson County
- August 22, 2001: Bear Killed After Attack On Camper
- August 22, 2001: Bear Tranquilized In Southwest Denver
- August 21, 2001: Autopsy: Bear Killed Woman
- August 16, 2001: Officials: Stay Away From Bears
- August 16, 2001: New Bear Sighting Excites Jeffco Neighborhood
- August 16, 2001: Bear Captured In Arapahoe County After Wild Chase
- August 15, 2001: Bear Pays Visit To Celebrity Home In Aspen
- August 15, 2001: 'Pepsi Bear' Captured In Pueblo
- August 7, 2001: Another Bear Killed At Poncha Springs
- August 3, 2001: Bear Attacks Another Scout
- August 2, 2001: Bear Suspected Of Biting Scout Leader Killed
- August 1, 2001: Bear Spotted In Lakewood Neighborhood
- July 26, 2001:
Woman Maintains Humor After Bear Attack - July 25, 2001: Bear Attacks Boy Scout Leader In Tent
- July 25, 2001: Tips For Surviving In Bear Country
- July 20, 2001: Bear Shot, Poacher Sought
- July 9, 2001: Teen Injured In Rare Bear Attack
- June 20, 2001: Bear Checks Out Downtown Breckenridge
- May 21, 2001: The Bears Are Back In Town
- April 30, 2001: Bears Coming Out Of Hibernation
- April 2, 2001: Watch Out For Bears, Wildlife Officials Warn
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