Questions remain following Wisconsin bear attack: Expert weighs in

Western Wisconsin woman attacked by bear

Wisconsin wildlife authorities are searching for a black bear that severely injured a 69-year-old woman.

COMSTOCK, Wis. (FOX 9) - A 69-year-old woman was transported to the hospital on Saturday after being attacked by a black bear in Barron County, Wisconsin. While details about the incident are limited, bear experts say black bear attacks are extremely rare.

Questions remain following bear attack

The backstory:

The victim called 911 around 2 p.m. Saturday to report that she had been attacked by a bear. The Barron County Sheriff, along with the Wisconsin DNR and USDA Wildlife Services responded to the scene. Officials say while they were unable to locate the bear, they did find a cub in a tree indicating that the incident involved a sow and a cub.

What bear experts are saying:

Lynn Rogers with the Wildlife Research Institute says in his 57 years working with black bears in northern Minnesota, he’s found bear attacks to be extremely rare. "I’ve done everything possible to cause attacks and I can’t get them to do it," he said.

Research published by the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point in 2021 found that most non-fatal black bear attacks were defensive reactions by female bears with young that often involved a dog and resulted in minor bodily damage.

That same research study said there were only four non-fatal black bear attacks in Wisconsin between 2000 and 2017.

What happened to the bear:

Wildlife officials said they have yet to locate the bear, but have placed traps near where the incident occurred.

In a statement, the Wisconsin DNR said if the animal is captured they plan to euthanize it.