The bear was fatally shot to death inside the family's home and was believed to be a female adult. Her cub was seen running away while the attack broke out
The bear was fatally shot to death inside the family's home and was believed to be a female adult. Her cub was seen running away while the attack broke out
A Wisconsin couple said they were left with no other choice than to kill a bear that attacked them inside their home with a large kitchen knife and a gun after charging at them and breaking their window in the process.

The Taylor County Sheriff's office said the attack happened around 11 p.m. Friday at a home near Medford in north-central Wisconsin. The couple told authorities that the bear charged at them after it was spotted eating from a bird feeder

They told authorities that they yelled at the animal to go away - but that it did the exact opposite.

'The bear immediately turned and charged at the house, breaking through the window and into the house and immediately attacked,' the local sheriff's office said in a press release.

Both the husband and wife were injured before stabbing the bear with a kitchen knife. Eventually, the man was able to grab a firearm and kill the animal.

The man and woman were treated at a hospital for several bites and other injuries before being released. They have chosen to remain unidentified, authorities said.

The couple's children were asleep in their bedrooms at the time and were not injured.

The sheriff's office said the bear was an adult female, and one cub was seen running off as the bear ran toward the home.

State wildlife officials took the bear for testing. Authorities have not specified what kind of bear it was.

Wisconsin is home to a growing black bear population, roughly around 24,000 of them. They are mostly located at the far northern region of the state, near Minnesota and Lake Superior.

However, due to the species' growing population, sightings of black bears in the lower parts of the state are more noticeable than ever before.

In 1989, the state's bear population was estimated to be around 9,000 - roughly a 90 percent increase over 33 years - according to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources .

Locals are advised to remove or secure any food outside homes, including pet foot, birdseed and garbage, to avoid attracting bears.

Do not run from a bear and instead make it aware of your presence by speaking in an assertive voice, sing, clap your hands or make other noises, according to the state agency.

Fatal bear attacks on humans are rare but have increased in recent decades as both the grizzly and black bear population grew across the country and more people moved into rural areas near bear habitat.