Couple Kill Bear After It Attacked Them In Wisconsin Home

MEDFORD, WI — A Wisconsin couple killed a bear after it attacked them in their home, according to police

The incident occurred about 11 p.m. Friday near Medford, the Taylor County Sheriff's Office said in a news release. The husband and wife saw the bear outside eating from a birdfeeder, opened a window and yelled at the animal to go away, and the bear immediately charged at them, breaking through the window and into the house, according to police.

The bear attacked the couple, who stabbed the animal with a kitchen knife before the husband killed the bear with a gun, police said. The couple was treated for bites and injuries, according to police, but their children were asleep when the bear attacked and were unharmed.

The bear was an adult female and appeared to have one cub, which was seen running off as the animal charged the house, police said. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources took the bear for testing, according to police.

Wisconsin’s occupied bear range is expanding, according to the Department of Natural Resources, and with an estimated population of more than 24,000, the number of bears has nearly tripled since 1989.