Black bear attacks elderly Montana woman ... in her house

KALISPELL, Mont. – Wildlife officials say a black bear that seriously injured an elderly woman attacked her inside her northwestern Montana home.

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks spokesman John Fraley tells the Flathead Beacon newspaper of Kalispell that the department doesn’t know how the bear got into the woman’s house Sunday, but that it left through a window.

Fraley says bears in the Kalispell area have been “extensively fed” with bird feed and other sources. He declined to say who was feeding the animals or if they might face charges.

It is illegal to provide supplemental feed to deer, elk, bears or mountain lions.

Fraley called the attack “severe.”

The woman remains hospitalized and wardens are trying to trap the bear.

This story was originally published September 29, 2015 at 11:27 AM with the headline "Black bear attacks elderly Montana woman ... in her house."