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Updated: 1:02 PM Jul 2, 2009
Bear sends pregnant woman to the hospital
She says it also walked through her home while she and her 2-year-old son were napping. DNR has three traps set around her house. Posted: 9:49 AM Jul 1, 2009Reporter: Mary Rinzel Email Address: mary.rinzel@weau.com |
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The DNR is still looking for a bear that sent a pregnant woman to the hospital, after knocking her to the ground outside her home.
Wednesday, Kelly Wiltrout and baby are safe and sound in Chippewa Falls. She's visiting her parents after having to close her in-home day-care this week because of bear.
There are now three big traps around her Burnett County home. The DNR says when a bear shows no fear of humans, it has to be trapped… even if the person bearing the brunt of the two-year-old bear's damage doesn't blame the bear!
"We were both in the wrong place at the wrong time,” Kelly says. She says she was taking the garbage out when she walked around a corner of the house and came face to face with the bear.
“It took one hit to my face and knocked me down,” Kelly says. “Then it took one more scratch to my face and shoulder and then it kept its paw on me."
Kelly lay curled on the ground covering her eight-month pregnant belly.
"I scared it as much as it scared me. I think we just startled each other and the bear realized that and it didn’t attack more. Then, it just walked away," Kelly says.
When the bear walked back into the woods, Kelly quickly dialed her deputy husband at work.
"He dispatched everyone to my house.”
And with that the traps went up; especially since the bear had earlier made its way into the Wiltrout home waking Kelly from a nap.
"I had been in bed downstairs and I heard the footsteps,” Kelly says. “I called to my husband thinking it was him and the footsteps got closer. And as I peeked up to talk to him, it was the bear."
Kelly says the doors were open to let in the breeze, but the bear took out these screens during its walk through her house. Her two-year-old son was also sleeping at the time. Now, she says unfortunately enough is enough and she hopes the traps do the trick.
"It never tried to bite. It's not a bad bear. It's not mean. It's just a nuisance,” she says.
The DNR says the bear will likely be shot. Another bigger bear that also is getting too close to the Wiltrout home could be trapped and released.
Kelly says the DNR told her that during this time of the year it's important to bring in bird-feeders and never feed bears. She says they're just looking for food because berries and nuts are scarce right now.
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