Officials to Euthanize Aggressive Bear Involved in Wisconsin Attack

Overview

• Agencies including Wisconsin DNR, USDA Wildlife Services and local law enforcement have deployed live traps around the rural Comstock property to capture the bear responsible for the attack.
• DNR specialists determined the bear showed a “sustained series of aggressive behaviors,” prompting a decision to humanely euthanize it upon capture.
• The victim, identified as 69-year-old Karen Frye, remains hospitalized and is now listed in stable condition following the July 12 incident.
• Officials found a bear cub at the scene and plan to relocate it in the wild if captured; any other bears deemed non-threatening will be released unharmed.
• Investigators are examining the circumstances behind the defensive attack in a state where recorded human fatalities from black bear encounters are nonexistent.