Residents stunned after surveillance cameras capture footage of unexpected backyard visitor: 'I would never have suspected'
A family in Stoughton, Wisconsin, got the shock of a lifetime when their backyard surveillance cameras revealed the true identity of a furry troublemaker.
What's happening?
According to WMTV News, Maureen McNeely and her family assumed raccoons were to blame for their overturned bird feeders and disappearing seed.
That was until the cameras captured a young black bear making itself at home in their yard.
"It actually climbed back in to finish cleaning up its mess from the night before," McNeely told the station with a laugh. The bear even left bite marks on their locked storage bins.
McNeely and her daughter said other neighbors in the town of Pleasant Springs and nearby areas also spotted the bear, including a state wildlife warden who caught it on his doorbell camera.
"I would never have suspected [a black bear]," McNeely added, noting that in over a decade of living in Stoughton, she'd never seen one in the area.
Why are increased public bear sightings concerning?
While this particular bear encounter ended without incident, there's a growing trend of wildlife appearing in suburban spaces across the country.
In mid-June, two black bears were spotted near a popular recreational area in South Dakota. Around the same time, residents in Punta Gorda Isles, Florida, were surprised to see a black bear roaming their neighborhood.
As Earth continues to overheat, wild animals are being pushed out of their natural habitats by droughts, food shortages, and land development. This increases the likelihood of human-wildlife interactions.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources confirmed to WMTV that bear sightings in the state's southeast region are rare but not unheard of. As BearWise observed, most young male bears explore their surroundings in search of food and new territory.
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What's being done about these sightings?
The Wisconsin DNR encourages residents to remove bird feeders, secure food and garbage, and clean grills to reduce the chances of attracting hungry wildlife.
It also asks neighbors to report sightings so officials can track movement patterns and issue safety guidance.
Organizations such as BearWise help keep both people and wildlife safe, but every small action adds up. By taking local steps toward change, we can create an impact that reaches a global scale.
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