Waukesha County bear sightings reported to DNR, residents concerned
WAUKESHA COUNTY, Wis. - Spring is in full bloom, which means many animals are waking up from hibernation, including bears. The Wisconsin DNR confirms bear sightings in Waukesha County.
Residents who have lived in the area for generations say the bear is too close for comfort.
"We call it our zoo, our menagerie," said Debbie Radtke. "Because we have so many animals."
Radtke's yard is home to all kinds of wildlife. It sits just off 164th and National in Waukesha County.
"We've had woodchucks come around, raccoons," Radtke said.
Her cameras often capture deer, but on Friday morning, May 5, her husband noticed one camera caught something unexpected.
"He goes, 'Oh my God, that's a bear,'" said Radtke.
Below is a video that Radtke's camera caught of a bear strolling past the camera and heading down the driveway. Radtke said this happened around 4 a.m.
"I said, I lived here all my life. It's like… I've never expected to see a bear," Radtke said.
She wasn't the only one. The DNR confirmed that there were multiple bear sightings in the Mukwonago/Big Bend area. Home surveillance shared with FOX6 News by Rafael Salazar showed a bear recorded three miles north of I-43 off of 164.
The homes aren't far from each other, but it's not clear if this is the same bear. Bears are on the move in the spring after coming out of hibernation, getting ready for mating season.
"Thank God garbage came Thursday. We had garbage pickup Thursday," said Radtke. "We didn't have to worry about it in the garbage can."
The Radtke home is a wildlife playground, but they hope the latest guest will not return.
"It's kind of interesting but kind of scary," said Radtke. "Hopefully, he is going to keep moving north, go back up north," Radtke said.
Bears are more common in southern Wisconsin, DNR says
According to the DNR, Wisconsin is home to a thriving black bear population estimated at more than 24,000 bears. The black bear's primary range is located in the far northern third of the state. Due to a growing population, bears are becoming much more common in the lower two-thirds of the state than ever before.
The DNR reports Wisconsin's black bear population is considerably higher than it was 30 years ago.
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Wisconsin's bear population was estimated to be about 9,000 bears in 1989. The most recent data indicates the bear population is currently estimated to be a little over 24,000 bears. DNR manages bear population size through regulated hunting. The number of hunting permits has steadily increased following studies showing higher numbers of bears. In the near future, opportunities will be provided to the public to comment on the desired numbers of bears in each of the state's bear management regions as the DNR prepares a new bear management plan.