Bear sighted on Highway Z

By Laura Schiermeier, Staff Writer
Posted 9/3/20

Renee Kottwitz of Bland was driving home on Tuesday night, probably thinking about what to cook for dinner or chores she had to do before ending the working part of her day. As she traveled east on …

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Bear sighted on Highway Z

Posted

Renee Kottwitz of Bland was driving home on Tuesday night, probably thinking about what to cook for dinner or chores she had to do before ending the working part of her day. As she traveled east on Highway Z, she noticed something running down the middle of the highway. It was a bear!

Kottwitz, who works at the Maries County Courthouse in Vienna as the deputy to County Clerk Rhonda Rodgers, makes the drive from the east side of the county to Vienna and back each weekday. Her drive takes her through a very scenic part of middle America. The view was even more scenic to her last Tuesday when she saw what appeared to be a small, young bear.

It saw the bear at the location near where Wisenhoeffer’s live. Kottwitz said she came to a complete stop, possibly in the middle of Highway Z because she was so excited to see the bear in the wild. She pulled out her cell phone and with shaking hands took some photos.

The bear didn’t seem much concerned with her, and didn’t appear to be scared as it simply got off the road and moved toward the wood line. She didn’t get out of her car.

Kottwitz is very pleased to have seen the bear. The next day on the way home, she looked for it all the way, hoping she would see it again. Maybe she will.

Call Laura at 573-422-6323 with your Maries County bear sightings. Our readers are interested in the growing bear population here and they like all of the bear stories.