RHINELANDER, Wis., Dec. 27 (UPI) -- Authorities in northern Wisconsin said a black bear was taken to a sanctuary after it was seen wandering a stretch of highway and "interacting" with vehicles.
The Lincoln County Sheriff's Office said the 2-year-old bear wandered into traffic Friday on Wisconsin State Highway 17, north of Gleason, and prompted numerous 911 calls when it approached vehicles without any apparent fear of humans.
Wisconsin State Trooper Steve Detienne responded to the scene and witnessed the bear standing on its hind legs and peering into cars. Detienne snapped photos of the bear that were shared on Facebook by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.
The sheriff's office called Mark Naniot, the director of the Wild Instincts animal rehab center in Rhinelander.
"It said the bear was coming up to cars, basically putting its paws on the car windows, licking windows, licking the salt off the cars, and he wouldn't get off the road," Naniot told WSAW-TV.
The sheriff's office described the bear's actions as "interacting" with vehicles, and one such incident was caught on video and posted to Instagram by Nicholas Esparza.
Nanoit said the bear will spend the rest of its hibernation period at the rehab facility.
"It obviously is very used to people," Naniot told WAOW-TV. "This bear is confused about what it's supposed to do, where it's supposed to be and ends up paying the price from it."
A post on Wild Instincts' official Facebook page said the female bear "will be evaluated in the spring to determine whether or not she is releasable."
Naniot said, however, that release is unlikely due to the bear's comfort around humans. He said the center will search for a zoo or other facility to offer the bear a permanent home.
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