69-Year-Old Wisconsin Woman Severely Injured in Bear Attack This Past Weekend

In news coming out of Barron County, Wisconsin, a 69-year-old woman was reported to have been severely injured in a bear attack that took place on Saturday afternoon.

Although details are sparse at the moment regarding the victims current status, the Department of Natural Resources has stated that the injuries she sustained were severe in nature. The Department said that they received a call Saturday afternoon after the victim dialed 911 from the site of the attack, just outside of Comstock.

Following the call, DNR and USDA teams were deployed to the area in search of the attacking bear. As the victim was taken to hospital for treatment, officials used hounds in an attempt to locate the attacking bruin, but have stated that, as of right now, they have not found the bear. According to reports, officials were able to track down a young bear cub in a tree they believe could be the cause of the attack.

With mother bears sticking close to their young, Wisconsin officials made a point to remind the public to remain bear aware while traversing the woods this summer. Bear attacks remain highly uncommon in Wisconsin and the state has yet to have a fatal bear attack on record.

As authorities continue to search for the bear, a number of bear traps have been deployed in the area of the incident and officials have stated that they intend on euthanizing the animal once it is located. 

The incident comes on the heels of another frightening attack that took place in Connecticut a couple of weeks ago. In that case, a female West Hartford resident was hiking a trail near Talcott Mountain with her dog when the pair suddenly ended up face-to-face with a mother black bear and her two cubs in a clearing. 

The hiker stated that it seemed as though the bear cubs and her dog were playing together - that is until the mother bear decided to intervene. In a matter of moments, the mother bear charged at the dog, grabbed it by the throat and dragged it into some nearby woods. The hiker fortunately had an over-sized metal water bottle (what female doesn’t these days) and used it to strike the bear in the face a number of times until it retreated.

Her dog was badly injured during the incident, but is fortunately expected to make a full recovery.

DNR officials in both Connecticut and Wisconsin are reminding residents and those heading into the woods to be mindful of their surroundings, giving bears, if spotted, a wide berth.