'Quite shocking': Bear sightings on the rise in southern Wisconsin

 

WISCONSIN (CBS 58) -- Cause for concern -- a rise in bear sightings in the greater Milwaukee area. 

In the last two months, nearly two dozen people have seen a bear in southern Wisconsin and reported it to the Department of Natural Resources.

A little tongue in cheek from Facebook, where one post about a bear sighting near Lake Geneva has 250 comments. Someone asked, "Who let the Bears across the Illinois state line?"

Footage from the area has people talking, and it's startled homeowners since late April. 

"I think the look on my face would've been priceless," said Peg Schacht of New Berlin. 

The bear that Peg Schacht nicknamed "Smoky," tugged at her bird feeders. 

"That showed him coming through here and knocking this down, almost playfully," said Schacht. 

"And you said you've lived here about 35 years," CBS 58's Michele Fiore asked. "Ever seen a bear before?"

"Never, never except for up north, right. Not here though, it was quite shocking," said Schacht.

An hour later, and also in New Berlin, a different homeowner got another video. It could be the same visitor, also digging at his bird feeders. 

"With people feeding birds and throwing old food out for other wildlife and feeding everything, that really draws bears into that area, because they're looking for easy meals," said Sara Fischer, Wisconsin DNR assistant large carnivore specialist. 

The Department of Natural Resources has taken at least 20 reports since late April in Southern Wisconsin -- places like Palmyra, Dousman, Mukwonago, Fort Atkinson and Kenosha County. 

The latest one was Tuesday. 

"The person, I believe, was walking their dog in one of the -- in the Kettle Moraine State Forest, in one of the lower units," said Fischer. 

Oconomowoc had one outside the Roundy's distribution center last Thursday, and there was one near the Grand Geneva in Walworth County Father's Day weekend. 

Two in Kenosha County were reported just days after a bear showed up just before 9 a.m. close to Gurnee Mills Mall in Illinois. 

"The single bears that we've been seeing in the southeast are very likely male bears that are very likely skittish and don't want anything to do with humans," said Fischer.

"Was a little bit nervous for a couple of days, but I don't think he's coming back here," said Schacht.

The DNR says while it's unusual to see a bear this far south, there have been more sightings down here in recent years.