Colorado man survives small town's second bear attack in three months

A Colorado man survived a bear attack in the backyard of his home when he fired at the animal and scared it away after it threw him to the ground, state wildlife officials said.

The attack occurred Saturday night in the small town of New Castle, Colorado Parks and Wildlife area manager Kirk Oldham said in a news release.

The man went into his backyard after hearing a noise and encountered the bear, which threw him to the ground, officials said. He then threw up his an arm to protect his face while grabbing a gun with his free hand and firing three shots, they said.