A 39-year-old Colorado woman was killed in an apparent bear attack while walking her two dogs, authorities said Saturday.
Her boyfriend discovered her body near Trimble, Colorado, about 223 miles north of Albuquerque, New Mexico, after the dogs returned home Friday night without her, according to Colorado state parks officials
Wildlife officers found “signs of consumption on the body,” bear hair, and bear scat, Colorado Parks and Wildlife said in a statement.
A dog team from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services subsequently found a female black bear with two yearlings nearby, the department said.
The bears were euthanized. The mother bear’s teeth indicate she was bout 10-years-old, parks officials said.
“Bear attacks are extremely rare,†Cory Chick, southwest region manager for state parks, said in the statement. “This is a tragic event and a sad reminder that bears are wild and potentially dangerous.”
The woman’s name was expected to be released by a local coroner, who is expected to perform an autopsy early next week.
Josh Cradduck and Austin Mullen contributed.
