Bear bites teen asleep in tent near Raton

New Mexico Game and Fish officers set a trap Tuesday trying to catch a bear that bit a teenage girl while she was sleeping in a tent early Monday in a neighborhood yard just outside Raton. The girl suffered minor wounds to her arm and ear when the bear nipped at her through the wall of her tent. She was treated at a Raton hospital, the department said in a news release. The girl was among several people attending a family gathering — and sleeping in tents outside the home — in the semirural area just northeast of Raton. The homeowner said he heard something rustling through trash bags about 3 a.m. and scared the juvenile bear away with a shot into the air from his handgun. When the bear returned, he said, he fired another shot, which prompted the bear to turn and walk away. By the time investigating officers were called to the scene about 8:45 a.m., a heavy rainstorm had washed away any tracks and scent that might have helped find the bear. Officers set a culvert live trap in case the bear returns, the department said...more