Mother Black Bear, Cubs Wander Into Western WI Neighborhood
OSCEOLA, Wis (WCCO) – A mama black bear and her two cubs have been spotted by residents in one Osceola, Wis. neighborhood.
They've gotten awfully close to homes, so now police and DNR are stepping in to make sure the bears and residents stay safe.
It began innocently enough.
"The neighbors would call, 'Hey, did you see the bear?' and we'd all get excited, look out the window," resident Amber Marvel said.
The black bear and her cubs have wandered the Industrial Dr. neighborhood the past few weeks.
More recently the bear and her cubs have gotten closer to homes.
"This morning is when it came really close. Our garbage was just scattered everywhere. It was all over, it was like somebody hit it with a bus," Marvel said.
So was the neighbors' trash.
Experts estimate the mama bear weighs about 300 lbs.
She likes to keep her cubs nearby.
"The bears been here more than anywhere I guess," resident Purnal Tracy said.
The bears frequent Tracy's yard. They even got his bird feeder.
"She just pushed it right over," Tracy said.
Because of that, the DNR put a bear trap in his yard.
"First time I've ever seen one. It's a bear trap. It's got a can hanging in the front and some feed in it. When it pushes down on that can, it pulls that rod out and the door falls down," Tracy said.
The DNR wants to trap the bears before a person or a pet has an unfortunate encounter.
"You start seeing police officers and evertyhing saying keep your kids and dogs inside. Oh, I guess it is a little more serious," Marvel said.
Neighbors are concerned about what will happen to the bear and her cubs. Once caught, the plan is to relocate them.
Until then, DNR asks people to bring their bird feeders in and keep their trash in the garage overnight. They want the bear to go for the bait in the trap, rather than the trash.
