National

Lightning strike kills 300-pound bear climbing tree in Colorado, officials say

A bear climbing a tree died from a lightning strike Monday night, Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials said.

The 300-pound bear was in a tree in Woodland Park, located northwest of Colorado Springs, when the lightning bolt hit, officials said Tuesday on Twitter. Officials said the bear was old and died instantly.

A picture posted by wildlife officials shows the bear’s body in front of a tree, which appears to have a long vertical gash through its bark.

“Lightning doesn’t just kill people in Colorado,” officials wrote on Twitter.

This story was originally published August 13, 2019 at 11:51 AM with the headline "Lightning strike kills 300-pound bear climbing tree in Colorado, officials say."

CK
Chacour Koop
mcclatchy-newsroom
Chacour Koop is a Real-Time reporter based in Kansas City. Previously, he reported for the Associated Press, Galveston County Daily News and Daily Herald in Chicago.
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