Receive the latest news and breaking updates, straight from our newsroom to your inbox. 2023, Charter Communications, all rights reserved. "I'm just glad we weren't out here walking the dog or something when he was coming around the corner, that wouldn't have ben fun," Boucher said. Wattles said such encounters are not restricted to the Granite State. . Several residents in Chelmsford have reportedly seen a huge bear walking around their back yards. (WHDH) - Police are urging residents to take precautions amid a recent uptick in bear sightings in southeastern Massachusetts. A black bear was spotted behind Southeastern Regional Vocational Technical High School in South Easton. "I was like 'alright, I'm done' and could feel he didn't want me to go near him.". The bear population in Massachusetts has increased over the past 50 years, with the majority in western and central Massachusetts, but bears are also moving into the suburbs of Boston. Top-requested sites to log in to services provided by the state. The last one caused a huge mess. People need to remove the food sources, Wattles said. We will use this information to improve this page. Meanwhile in New Hampshire, a black bear recently busted into a home in the middle of the night, where the homeowner found the powerful animal looking for snacks. Thank you for your website feedback! Our Spectrum News app is the most convenient way to get the stories that matter to you. Some bears, mostly young males and some breeding females, live in other eastern Massachusetts communities along Route 495, the division said. Theyre busy right now, Dave Wattles, black bear and furbearer biologist with the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, told the Herald on Tuesday. Wildlife officials say many of the families in those . But Easton is far from alone. He then realized when there was furniture tossed around his garage something was off. Download it here. Please be cautious and alert.. He asked his neighbor, who found the 40-pound bag of birdseed in his yard and he realized the bear was coming into his garage at night. Live updates from Twitter on the 2023 Boston Marathon. This station is part of Cox Media Group Television. Instructions: To view the legend, click on the icon in the bottom left. A black bear was spotted on Deering Drive in Tewksbury. Please do not include personal or contact information. To research black bears in central and eastern Massachusetts, MassWildlife is asking residents to report sightings of cubs. Brockton residents should contact the following authorities in the event that a bear is near, and Animal Control for other questions: Mass Wildlife advises people to take precautions to avoid conflict with the bears, including getting rid of bird feeders, installing electric fences, and keeping garbage in tightly closed containers. ** Quick note, we are a research project so if for some reason you need assistance on how to deal with a bear in your backyard etc., you should contact the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & Wildlife at 508-389-6300 or Environmental Police Dispatch at 800-632-8075. North Reading Police received reports around 8:30 a.m. Sunday morning that a bear was attacking chickens on Foley Drive. The bears got into the homes through partially open windows. Black bear sightings were reported in at least three Massachusetts communities over the weekend, including an atypical sighting in the city of Lowell. A bear was spotted Monday in a yard in Middleton, Massachusetts. Drake decided to remove his bird feeders to discourage Big Ben from coming back for more food. Backyard chickens are also an easy meal for black bears, he said. A black bear was seen on Wentworth Avenue in Lowell. WESTFIELD, MA (WGGB/WSHM) - Recent bear activity in western Massachusetts has many people concerned for their safety. Boucher and his dad say they've seen all kinds of wildlife over the years at their home, but never anything like this before. But the bears have been seen farther east in recent years, with some appearing in communities east of. Bear sightings inside the Interstate 95 belt are quite rare, but they have happened. These bears are now becoming a common sight in our area. Get the best experience and stay connected to your community with our Spectrum News app. The research involves fitting tracking collars on sows (female bears). We will use this information to improve this page. Be aware and alert of your surroundings while utilizing wooded areas in town, the department wrote. Some page levels are currently hidden. This information will help managers make scientifically-informed decisions about managing black bears across the state. - The black bear population is growing in Massachusetts and while they still can surprise people, MassWildlife said bears can survive and thrive in suburban areas. The homeowner noticed something was off when he kept going through 40-pound bags of birdseed. The bear opted not to stick around, however, and instead launched. A black bear was spotted in Middleton Square in Middleton. t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0]; The details of the incident have been reported to NH Fish and Game. Black bears live and breed in Worcester County, northern Middlesex County, and west to the Berkshires. Learn about careers at Cox Media Group. Police posted a photo Monday after the bear was spotted near Federal, Concord and Woburn streets. Sow collars help biologists learn about survival and reproductive rates. This is a wild animal, so you want to treat it with some sort of respect, Rogers added. Click on a bear if youre interested in learning more about a specific sighting. Massachusetts is Bear Country (from Massachusetts Wildlife Magazine) For homeowners and pet owners For landlords, restaurants, & campgrounds For hikers and campers Protect your bees and chickens from black bears Protect your crops and orchards from black bears Protect your livestock from black bears Printable Resources | Officials in Brockton, Massachusetts, are warning residents to be aware of black bears in the area after one was seen wandering in a backyard early Friday morning. if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0'; The Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife recently received reports of two bears breaking into homes in the southern Berkshires in western Massachusetts. The animal was also spotted in the Middleton Square area . The bear was captured on video Friday morning around 4:30 a.m. near North Pearl Street and Healey Terrace in Brockton, Massachusetts. All rights reserved. The animal was seen strolling in the backyard of a home on King Street. The research involves fitting tracking collars on sows (female bears). Bear Sightings in Danvers and West Peabody Aug 1, 2022 Homeowner Chases Bear Out Of His Home For the Second Time bears . An official website of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, This page, Report sightings of young bears, is. According to the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, black bears in the state have multiplied and expanded their territory eastward since the 1970s. Mass Wildlife says the best thing to do if there's a bear in your yard is to make a lot of noise and the bear will usually go away. As fascinating as black bears are, on occasion they can cause problems for people. if (typeof(window.bgmpGdpr) !== 'undefined' && !window.bgmpGdpr.isOptedOut()) { This is a good opportunity for interested citizens to contribute to wildlife conservation science! Gary Drake took a chance and followed the bear to take some cell phone video. Over a dozen towns, mostly in Massachusetts and north of the city, have reported bear sightings. Stay up to date on all the latest news from Boston.com, if (typeof(window.bgmpGdpr) !== 'undefined' && !window.bgmpGdpr.isOptedOut()) { "He cut over my neighbor's house and I tried to sneak through the woods to get a better picture of him and he kinda stood up, looked at me and kinda backed off," Drake said. Bears are typically attracted to a home because of bird feeders, he noted. "Kind of surprising to see, we're not in the country," his dad added. To track bear populations for research, MassWildlife needs to know where cubs have been observed. Local, state police arrest driver following vehicle pursuit on I-91 in Holyoke, Public File: gary.rivest@westernmassnews.com - (413) 846-0118. The Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, or MassWildlife, says the population has jumped from 100 in the 1970s to 4,000 in current times as bears find their way well east of Interstate 495. "(It was) pretty startling, he was huge," said Drake. Wattles said it appears to be a single bear moving through the area. Two recent sightings include in Wilmington and in Woburn in the. The bear has now been named "Big Ben" by neighbors, after his many elusive appearances. Last week, the neighbor told me that part of my fence by my pool was downI noticed the bear had come on and tore down the metal fence came in and took that pailIt was just a bag of cans and stuff from kidsLeft the bag there because there was nothing to take him, Della Ripa explained. The bear in question, which authorities have named "Boo. Over a dozen towns, mostly in Massachusetts and north of the city, have reported bear sightings. Rick Sobey is a multimedia, general assignment reporter -- covering breaking news, politics and more across the region. Mass Wildlife recommends eliminating any food that will attract bears and securing trash cans.\. Talk calmly to the animal and slowly back away. Bear sightings over the weekend. With the increasing number of bears found in many areas of Massachusetts, it is important for residents to brush up on their bear knowledge. A black bear broke into a home in Hancock, New Hampshire. If you would like to continue helping us improve Mass.gov, join our user panel to test new features for the site. Black bears live and breed in Worcester County, northern Middlesex County, and west to the Berkshires. In the mid-1970s, the Massachusetts black bear population was estimated at under 100 individuals. Some are saying it was quite a sight, but are now making some habitual changes to make sure they stay safe from these creatures. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the official website. An injured black bear which had been struck by a car in Middleborough was found stranded on the median of Route 495 in Raynham. "As you see, it's a good size bear, especially in this neighborhood," Boucher's dad said. MassWildlife said if you come across a bear, give it space. Division of Fisheries and Wildlife tips for preventing bears from coming near your home: If you see a bear in your neighborhood, the division says to yell and make lots of noise, as its instinct will be to leave the area. The bears got into the. He first spotted the bear grabbing a snack from a bird feeder. !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s){if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function() "Bears don't look at a calendar," said Marion Larson, chief of information and education at Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife. Hey bear! You might be thinking Why would a black bear want to utilize a bird feeder? but its a very high calorie food source that they will come into the neighborhood and use quite frequently, said Joseph Rogers, Connecticut Valley district manager of the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife. Most of the black bears come into the neighborhoods because of food sources that are available Rogers said. A group of bears were spotted on camera having a ball in a Chicopee backyard. To view the legend, click on the icon in the bottom left. The feedback will only be used for improving the website. "I came out the side of the house and the bear was right on the side out back," said Gary Drake, a Chelmsford resident. In the 1970s, there was about 100 bears in the area. A black bear broke into a home in Hancock, New Hampshire. Not really, haven't seen one yet," one neighbor told NBC10 Boston. Young bears and wandering males often find themselves east of Route 495. But many of this summers bear sightings have occurred far beyond the areas of the state the division considers established or expanding territory for black bears. Please do not include personal or contact information. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. If you see a bear in your yard, Rogers said to make lots of noise and, if needed, call the Massachusetts Environmental Police at (800) 632-8075. A lock icon ( If you see a black bearwith cubs in eastern Massachusetts, emailMass.Wildlife@mass.govwith the sighting date anda detailed description of the location, withyour name and contact information. An injured black bear which had been struck by a car in Middleborough was found stranded on the median of Route 495 in Raynham. To research black bears in central and eastern Massachusetts, MassWildlife is asking residents to report sightings of cubs. Denning can take place as late as December and January or even not at all. 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