A 5-year-old girl was attacked by a bear in Colorado early Sunday.
The unidentified child had gone outside of her home in East Orchard Mesa in the predawn hours to investigate noises she believed were coming from a dog, her mother told authorities.
When the mother went to look for her daughter in the home, which is above the Colorado River corridor in Grand Junction, she heard screams about 2:30 a.m., according to a news release by Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
That’s when she saw a large black bear dragging the girl, according to the release. The mom screamed at the bear, which then let go of the girl, the release said.
The girl was rushed to St. Mary’s Hospital with serious injuries, but she was later upgraded to fair condition, according to CPW.
CPW officers were working with federal wildlife services personnel to track the bear, according to the news release.
