Black Bear Spotted In City Of La Crosse

Officials from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources confirmed a recent black bear sighting in the city of La Crosse.

A resident recorded the bear on a home security camera in their backyard on Monday morning. There have been no further sightings and DNR officials said the bear has most likely found its way back into the bluffs on the east side of the city.

While bear sightings in the La Crosse area are pretty rare, DNR specialist David MacFarland said the bear population in Wisconsin has increased from 5,000 to 29,000 in the last 30 years.

“That population increase has been accompanied with range expansion into the central part of the state, and now we’re seeing expansion continue particularly into the southwest part of the state,” MacFarland said.

The DNR has recorded bears living in Richland and Sauk counties, but bears have been spotted as far south as Illinois and Iowa.

With bears continuing to expand their territory in Wisconsin every year, the DNR has been working to educate communities like La Crosse on how to coexist with the curious animals.

“We have worked with the local law enforcements and everybody that way on setting up plans if we do get a bear in the city limits on how we should best deal with it,” said DNR wildlife biologist Ron Lichtie.

The DNR suggests residents remove attractants like bird feeders and garbage cans from their yard to keep from attracting a bear.