FOND DU LAC – Rolling Meadows Golf Course had an unexpected visitor this week.
On April 28, golf course staff noticed a black bear in one of the trees, prompting the closure of nine holes to give the bear some space.
“The first staff reaction was disbelief followed by shock,” golf course Manager David Brandenburg told the Reporter. “We quickly educated ourselves about black bears and let him rest in the woods the remainder of the day, keeping an eye on him from a distance so we knew if he moved deeper onto the course.”
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Closing the holes was a recommendation from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife and Fisheries division, which also advised he’s “just being a bear” and wasn’t a danger to people, according to the Rolling Meadows Golf Course Facebook page.
“How’s he supposed to watch if you closed the course,” one Facebook comment joked.
By the evening, the bear was napping in the woods, expected to move along on his own eventually. Staff continued to keep golfers away so the bear was free to leave the property.
Brandenburg said April 29, “We have not seen him today, but expect he has moved on.”
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Daphne Lemke is the Streetwise reporter for the Fond du Lac Reporter. Contact her at dlemke@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Fond du Lac Reporter: Black bear visits Fond du Lac golf course Rolling Meadows in Wisconsin