An 82-year-old woman reportedly fought off a 100-pound bear that had broken into her home in Colorado, United States.

According to Mirror US, the incident occurred shortly after midnight on August 11, leaving the unnamed woman with only minor scratches.

The pensioner’s ordeal began when she was abruptly awakened by a crashing noise, accompanied by the distressed growling of her dog in Boncarbo, Colorado.

She reportedly jumped out of bed to investigate and as she entered the entrance hall, the unexpected intruder – a small cinnamon-coloured black bear – leaped at her. She estimated the bear weighed around 100 pounds.

But the 82-year-old managed to push the bear off her, avoiding a potentially fatal confrontation. Acting swiftly, she reportedly shut the double doors to confine the bear within a room.

The bear, believed to be a cub or yearling, then scrambled frantically around the room, climbed a shelf and exited the house by tearing through an open window screen.

The woman suffered only minor scratches on her legs and refused medical attention, but she did alert the Colorado Parks And Wildlife (CPW) Department to the incident. The Department classified the bear as dangerous and said it will be humanely euthanised if found.

CPW Officer Bob Holder immediately began a search of the area and set a trap for the bear in case it returned.

“Human health and safety always remain our top priority in any incident like this, regardless of how minor the injuries are,” Mike Brown, CPW’s regional Area wildlife manager said in a statement.

“CPW officers are doing everything we can to locate this bear. Luckily, the victim’s injuries consist of very minor scratches,” he added.

Last week, a Pennsylvania man survived a close call with a bear while he was filling up a kiddie pool for his granddaughter in his garage.