WISCONSIN BEAR ATTACK

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CHIPPEWA FALLS, Wis. - Kelly Wiltrout is more forgiving than a lot of people would be. Having survived a terrifying attack by a black bear outside her Siren home, which the bear had invaded before, the former Chippewa Falls woman is quick to defend the bear.

"Everybody is referring to it as a vicious bear and it's not," she said from the Chippewa Falls home of her parents, Tim and Terri Hutson, where she is visiting for the holiday weekend. "It's not a bad bear. It's a nuisance bear. It's just looking for food."

Nevertheless, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is now looking for the bear, intending to kill it as a danger to the public because it is unafraid of humans.

Wiltrout's frightening encounter happened on Sunday evening when she took out some garbage.

"As I turned the corner, the bear was right there with me," she said. It was about 10 feet away. "We startled each other." Unfortunately, the bear reacted by jumping and knocking down Wiltrout, who is eight months pregnant. It scratched at her, down her face and onto her
shoulder, tearing her shirt.

She moved to cover her head, and the bear kept its paw on her. Then it walked away.

Wiltrout said she was quite frightened during the attack, and even feared a second bear. The one that attacked was a juvenile, about two years old and perhaps as large as 200 pounds. Another bear, around 300 pounds, had also been visiting the house and Wiltrout was afraid it was around and would be on her next. "My 2-year-old was inside and my husband was at work. I was completely alone."

Wiltrout, a 2000 Chi-Hi graduate, was able to get quickly back in the house after the bear walked off. She called her husband, who is a Burnett County sheriff's deputy. Help rushed to the scene. It was not Wiltrout's only encounter with the bear. A few days earlier she was sleeping in the basement of her home and heard footsteps above. She thought it was her husband. Then she saw the bear looking downstairs at her and realized her husband was not at home. Her young son was on the other end of the house sleeping, with the bear between Wiltrout and the child.

Fortunately, the bear left through a porch screen. It had entered by jumping through a screen. It knocked down a few things, but did no serious damage. The Wiltrouts had done what is recommended and took down their bird feeders and removed any source of food for bears, but the bear is still coming around. Because of the home invasion, the DNR set live traps for the bear.

As of Thursday morning, it had not been caught, as far as Wiltrout knows.

DNR Northern Region Wildlife Supervisor Mike Zeckmeister says the bear has grown accustomed to raiding bird feeders and garbage cans. Wiltrout hopes she will completely heal from the experience, but the bear may have left behind some scars. It's too early to tell. But she is all right, and so is the child she's carrying.

"Everybody is surprised I haven't had this baby yet because of the surprises I've had," she said.