Bear enters home, raids refrigerator

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — A bear entered a Colorado home Monday night, causing damage and raiding the refrigerator — all while the homeowner slept upstairs.

Wildlife officials believe the 375-pound bear is the same one that has raided garage freezers for ice cream in the same neighborhood recently.

Homeowner Chris O'Dubhraic told The Gazette the bear got in through a window that was slightly open, and roamed around the house before trashing the pantry and kitchen. The bear also ripped out a trash compactor and urinated around the house to mark its territory. O'Dubhraic said the bear likely did thousands of dollars of damage to the home. He told The Gazette that he had just returned from an overseas trip and was still adjusting to the time change, which may explain how he slept through the commotion downstairs.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials made the decision to euthanize the bear after deeming it an "imminent threat to the public." While the preference is to relocate such wildlife whenever possible, officials said this bear had lost its fear of humans, citing the numerous incidents of the bear raiding people's homes in the neighborhood. They feared that it was only a matter of time before a person surprised the bear during one of its raids, which could have deadly consequences.

Cox Media Group