Bear Spotted In Waukesha County Is Third Sighting Since May: Reports

WAUKESHA, WI — Despite bears being considered transient in much of southeastern Wisconsin, three sightings have been reported in Waukesha County since May, according to multiple media reports.

The latest was spotted by Nancy Nelson on Sunday evening in a Dousmman backyard near School Section Road, according to a report by The Waukesha Freeman and other outlets.

Nelson told The Freeman she saw the bear eating birdfeed in her yard before it climbed a neighbor's tree and destroyed a bees nest.

A report by FOX6 News recalled two other recent sightings in May, one in New Berlin and one in Vernon. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources told the television station all three sightings may be the same bear.

See also: Black Bear Killed By Truck On Hale Interchange In Greenfield

The sightings all come around a year after a different black bear wandered onto the Interstate system in Milwaukee County. Authorities said the 250-pound bear was hit by a truck in Greenfield last June.

A Wisconsin DNR webpage said black bears are expanding their range in Wisconsin. An abundant population of them has allowed more movement into the south of the state, and the population today is much higher than 30 years ago, the DNR said.

Around 24,000 of the creatures are estimated to live in Wisconsin, the DNR said. They are considered rare or transient in much of the southern part of the state but become more common in the north.