(The Center Square) – The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is investing a black bear attack in Barron County where a black bear allegedly attacked a 69-year-old woman in Comstock.
The attack was reported around 2 p.m. on Saturday. The victim was taken to the hospital for treatment and her current condition is unknown.
Officers from Barron County and Cumberland worked with local DNR wardens and U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services staff to attempt to track the bear, including using a trained bear hound dog.
The officers found a cub in a tree, which they say indicate the attack involved a sow and cub, but did not find the bear.
Bear traps have been set at the scene in an attempt to euthanize the bear and assess its condition. It is unknown why the attack occurred.
The DNR said there are an estimated 24,000 bear in the state and that “black bears are generally secretive, not aggressive and tend to avoid humans as much as possible but bears are sometimes known to be aggressive if cubs are present and feel threatened.”
The Wisconsin bears are generally in the northern two-thirds of the state.
Bear eat both plants and animals and are opportunistic feeders who will eat both natural foods and human food.
The public is reminded to avoid bear attractants at residence or camps including bird feeder, which should be hung 10 feet from the ground, brought in at night or used only in winter. Garbage cans should be secured.
The DNR says that, if an individual encounters a bear, they should not approach the bear, run or play dead. Instead, they should talk to the bear, shout if it does not leave, raise arms and wave them to appear larger and slowly back away while leaving an escape route for the bear.
