69-Year-Old Woman Critically Injured in Wisconsin Black Bear Attack

A 69-year-old woman in Comstock, Wisconsin, was critically injured in a rare black bear attack, which officials believe involved a female bear protecting her cub. The incident occurred in the woman's backyard, and despite severe injuries, she was able to call 911 and was transported to a hospital where she remains in critical condition. Authorities, including the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services, have been searching for the bear using traps and trained dogs but have yet to capture it. The presence of a bear cub in nearby trees suggests the mother bear may have acted defensively. The DNR plans to euthanize the bear if captured to assess its condition and better understand the cause of the attack, which aligns with statistics showing most black bear attacks are defensive, especially involving mothers with cubs. While black bears are generally secretive and non-aggressive, attacks like this are rare but do occur in Wisconsin, home to an estimated 24,000 black bears.