Bear captured after attacking security guard in luxury hotel: Wildlife officials

An "aggressive" bear that attacked a security guard in the kitchen of a luxury resort has been captured and euthanized following a dayslong search, wildlife officials said.

The incident -- which was captured on security footage -- occurred Monday night at the St. Regis Aspen Resort in Aspen, Colorado, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife.

The on-duty security guard went to investigate reports of a bear inside the hotel when he "surprised" the bear in the kitchen, CPW said in a statement released Tuesday.

The security footage shows the bear roaming around the kitchen before it leaves the camera frame. A few seconds later, the security guard enters the frame and looks around the kitchen as he heads in the direction of the bear. The security guard then backs up as the bear approaches. The bear swipes at him, knocking him to the ground, before running away.

The victim called 911 and was taken to a nearby hospital, where he received care for scratches to his back and was later released.

Wildlife officers were notified of the attack at 11 p.m. local time Monday and remained in the area following the sudden attack to search for the animal, CPW said. They initially were able to track the bear down early Tuesday morning but could not immediately sedate and capture the bear due to public safety concerns, CPW said in their statement.

Wildlife officers were eventually able to capture the bear early Wednesday, CPW said in an update.

They spotted the animal near Conner Park and "hazed the bear into a tree at the park" around 2 a.m. Wednesday, CPW said. They used a tranquilizer gun to immobilize the bear then removed it from the tree using an Aspen Fire ladder truck, took it away from the area and humanely euthanized it per CPW policy, the agency said.

The male bear was sent to the CPW Wildlife Health Lab in Fort Collins for a full necropsy.

Wildlife officers determined it was the same bear that was in the resort based in part on the security footage.

"Using the footage provided by the hotel, we were able to confirm the aggressive behavior of the bear and identify unique physical characteristics of the bear that assisted in the proper identification of the offending bear," Matt Yamashita, CPW area wildlife manager, said in a statement.

The bear had a "distinctive" white patch on its chest, CPW said, which can be observed in the footage amid the attack.

Investigating officers discovered that the bear had entered the hotel through a series of doors near the courtyard, according to CPW.

"While most human-bear conflict is the result of not taking proper precautionary measures, CPW staff noted the lack of food-related attractants and cleanliness of the kitchen," CPW said.

Wildlife officers observed eight other bears moving around downtown Aspen amid the search for the bear involved in the attack, CPW said.

"This incident serves as an unfortunate reminder that bears are still active as they prepare for hibernation," CPW said. "While it is common for people to see bears and other wildlife inside Aspen town limits, it is everyone's responsibility to give wildlife space and remember the importance of being 'bear aware' at all times."

The St. Regis Aspen Resort, a luxury property located at the base of Aspen Mountain, has been closed since Sunday for renovations, according to its website.