A 60-year-old man was attacked by a bear near the point where the forks of the Platte River merge in southwestern Jefferson County Friday night, marking Colorado’s sixth reported bear attack this year.

The man was returning to the North Fork trail parking lot around 8 p.m. Friday after fishing when multiple witnesses saw a 50- to 60-pound young female bear knock him to the ground and attack his legs, Colorado Parks and Wildlife said in a Saturday news release.

The man was not holding any fish, the release said.

The bear continued attacking the man and biting his legs for several minutes before several of his friends were able to scare it away, CPW said.

The man went to the hospital with several leg injuries, and the bear was tracked down with the help of a dog team from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Plant Health Inspection Service.

In accordance with CPW policy, the young bear was euthanized early Saturday morning. CPW veterinarians will perform a necropsy on the carcass.

The report comes just several days after officials with Colorado Parks and Wildlife responded to two separate bear attacks across the state in one week.

Officials have deemed this year record breaking for bear attacks.

The cause of the uptick, officials said, is historic drought levels causing natural food sources to become scarce as bears begin to enter hyperphagia — a period of time where bear activity increases as the lumbering mammals seek up to 20,000 calories per day.

As the number of attacks continues to tick up across the state, CPW is urging Colorado residents to be bear smart.

CPW recommends people stay alert and travel in groups; not to leave any trash or food scraps out when hiking, camping or spending time outdoors; set up campsites away from dense cover and bears’ natural food sources; and carry bear spray. 

If a bear is encountered, do not approach it, back away slowly and never run, CPW said. If a bear approaches, people should hold their ground while waving their arms in the air and yelling, “Hey Bear,” and if a bear still continues to approach, use bear spray, CPW said.

If a black bear makes contact, do not play dead — instead fight back “aggressively,” CPW said.