Early Tuesday morning, a black bear ambled through backyards in Slinger, Wisconsin, giving neighbors an unexpected wildlife wake-up call. Residents near Lovers Lane and Glacier Pass watched as the bear hugged the tree line, then slipped back into the woods.
Homeowner Holly Nowak spotted the bear through her patio door and hit record as it wandered behind several yards, then quickly alerted neighbors, according to WISN. The station shared her clip and noted that other residents later sent in their own footage of the roaming visitor.
Local coverage places the encounter in a wooded corridor east of the Slinger water tower near Nordic Drive. Washington County Insider reports the bear was seen around 5:41 a.m., while another resident spotted it at about 5:28 a.m. and called Slinger police. Neighbors told the outlet they checked their deck cameras afterward and described the animal as a calm, lone bear moving through the neighborhood.
The sighting lines up with a broader statewide trend. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources estimates roughly 25,000 black bears live in the state and says the animals’ range has been slowly expanding southward. Recent reports, including a bear spotted with cubs in Eau Claire, show encounters are increasingly popping up outside the species’ traditional northern strongholds, as reported by WEAU.
“Sightings in southeastern Wisconsin are somewhat rare,” Randy Johnson, the DNR’s large-carnivore specialist, told WISN. He added that younger bears frequently travel long distances while searching for new territory, and officials say these wanderers are usually not aggressive if they are left alone.
What To Do If You Spot A Bear
The DNR advises residents to give bears plenty of space, never feed them and remove easy food sources such as bird feeders, pet food and unsecured garbage. The agency’s nuisance-wildlife guidance also provides contact information for USDA Wildlife Services for situations that escalate.
If a bear starts causing damage or poses a public-safety risk, the DNR says to call local law enforcement and USDA Wildlife Services’ Southern district at 800-433-0663, in line with the department’s published guidance.
Neighbors Call It A Morning To Remember
Nowak told Washington County Insider she was thrilled to see the bear but “a little scared” to let her dog outside. Other neighbors described the experience as surprising yet peaceful, noting that the animal did not appear agitated.
One resident said she contacted police out of caution, pointing out that the wooded corridor borders the Slinger Middle School playground. For now, wildlife officials are stressing awareness rather than panic. They urge residents to supervise pets and children, secure anything that might attract a hungry bear and report any additional sightings so biologists can track the animal’s movements. Local police and the DNR say they will use those reports to monitor bears as they continue to push into new parts of the state.
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