(WWLP) - Bear sightings across western Massachusetts seemed to have increased this past year. The bear was found in the homes kitchen looking for snacks. He said even though there has been a recent bear attack in Connecticut, black bears are not typically type of bear to attack you. He then realized when there was furniture tossed around his garage something was off. The black bear can be seen coming down the steps in Boucher's family's backyard and walking past one of the home's security cameras as the animal continued on its way into Brockton. Rick is a Massachusetts native and graduated from Boston University. They recommend not letting bears get too comfortable. WESTFIELD, MA (WGGB/WSHM) - Recent bear activity in western Massachusetts has many people concerned for their safety. Bears are increasingly moving into and raising their young in areas with higher human populations. Massachusetts residents have spotted more black bears than usual recently as more people spend time indoors during the pandemic. Video of that bear in . A black bear was seen climbing into a koi pond in Pepperell. Please limit your input to 500 characters. We will use this information to improve this page. According to the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, black bears in the state have multiplied and expanded their territory eastward since the 1970s. The animal was seen strolling in the backyard of a home on King Street. Your email address will not be published. Gary Drake took a chance and followed the bear to take some cell phone video. Theyre busy right now, Dave Wattles, black bear and furbearer biologist with the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, told the Herald on Tuesday. Jackson, New Hampshire, police are reminding residents to roll up their windows and lock their doors if they have food inside their car. WORCESTER COUNTY, Mass. 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. North Reading Police received reports around 8:30 a.m. Sunday morning that a bear was attacking chickens on Foley Drive. The Hancock, N.H. Police Department on Monday said the agency had received a report of a large black bear breaking into a home on Old Dublin Road at around 1 a.m. (WHDH) - Police are urging residents to take precautions amid a recent uptick in bear sightings in southeastern Massachusetts. Boucher says his mom got a Ring camera notification on her phone and wondered who was coming through their property at such an early hour. 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. Local, state police arrest driver following vehicle pursuit on I-91 in Holyoke, Public File: gary.rivest@westernmassnews.com - (413) 846-0118. "It was quite the experience," Drake said. The mere presence of a bear in a populated area is not a public safety threat and the bear will leave the area on its own. WOBURN, Mass. These bears are now becoming a common sight in our area. "Bears don't look at a calendar," said Marion Larson, chief of information and education at Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife. Mass.gov is a registered service mark of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The animal was also spotted in the Middleton Square area . A black bear was spotted behind Southeastern Regional Vocational Technical High School in South Easton. Massive bear spotted in Chelmsford Massive bear spotted in Chelmsford. To view the legend, click on the icon in the bottom left. "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. If you would like to continue helping us improve Mass.gov, join our user panel to test new features for the site. Wattles said such encounters are not restricted to the Granite State. Police said on Facebook that they have received two reports of bear sightings in the area of Woburn Street between the I-93 overpass and Concord Street. Bear sightings aren't uncommon in Massachusetts, where Mass Wildlife estimates there are around 4,500 black bears across the state and that number is growing. The Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife tagged the bear on May 17 and released it in the Worcester County town. Be aware and alert of your surroundings while utilizing wooded areas in town, the department wrote. Follow Boston.com on Instagram (Opens in a New Tab), Follow Boston.com on Twitter (Opens in a New Tab), Like Boston.com on Facebook (Opens in a New Tab), Heres why rideshare drivers caravanned through Boston in protest, Four-year-old suffers critical injuries after falling from window in Dorchester, Dogged metal detector enthusiast finds womans lost wedding ring at NH beach, Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife. The research involves fitting tracking collars on sows (female bears). Bears can use relatively small patches of forest among all the development because they can take advantage of all the natural foods they find there, but also the human associated foods that those environments provide," Wattles said. Please remove any contact information or personal data from your feedback. MassBears is a research project in collaboration with MassWildlife, the Massachusetts Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Amherst College, and University of Massachusetts, Amherst. A biologist will connect with you for more details. Over a dozen towns, mostly in Massachusetts and north of the city, have reported bear sightings. The feedback will only be used for improving the website. For people who have backyard chickens, they have to use electric fencing, Wattles said. Easton is the latest in a string of Massachusetts towns with a black bear spotted roaming around town on Monday. . A black bear was spotted in Woburn and in Wilmington. Welcome! Rogers explained how it is not uncommon to encounter black bears in the area, Anywhere outside of 495, you can consider bear country. The number of black bear sightings in the eastern part of Massachusetts is on the rise. This is a good opportunity for interested citizens to contribute to wildlife conservation science! Bear sightings aren't uncommon in Massachusetts, where Mass Wildlife estimates there are around 4,500 black bears across the state and that number is growing. The bears got into the homes through partially open windows. (WLNE) - Residents in Bristol County, Massachusetts are being asked to stay vigilant after a bear was spotted in both Plainville and Attleboro. Thank you for your website feedback! Please remove any contact information or personal data from your feedback. "I'm on this side of the house, she's on that side, and I'm like, 'what happened?'" Police departments and residents reported several bear sightings across the area, including one captured on video climbing a tree on Osgood Road in Charlton last week. The only thing that stops them during the day is my big dog and when he sees the dog, he runs away, Della Ripa added. This information will help managers make scientifically-informed decisions about managing black bears across the state. More information on dealing with bears can be found here and here. 10 interesting questions about the Boston Marathon, answered. With the increasing number of bears found in many areas of Massachusetts, it is important for residents to brush up on their bear knowledge. Get hyperlocal forecasts, radar and weather alerts. {n.callMethod? Receive the latest news and breaking updates, straight from our newsroom to your inbox. The feedback will only be used for improving the website. Below is a map of where bears have been spotted in Massachusetts and New Hampshire this summer. A .mass.gov website belongs to an official government organization in Massachusetts. MASSWILDLIFE OFFICES AND HATCHERIES ARE CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. He first spotted the bear grabbing a snack from a bird . City officials, including Mayor Robert Sullivan, are urging locals to be aware of bears in the vicinity of their homes and take all necessary measures to prevent conflict with them. By the 1990s, it was 1,000 bears and now, the estimated population is to be over 4,500 bears throughout this area of Massachusetts. The details of the incident have been reported to NH Fish and Game. The homeowner noticed something was off when he kept going through 40-pound bags of birdseed. Click on a bear if youre interested in learning more about a specific sighting. Black bears live and breed in Worcester County, northern Middlesex County, and west to the Berkshires. To find sightings in a specific place, use the search bar in the top right. 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. Live updates from Twitter on the 2023 Boston Marathon. 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. He was most recently a reporter at The Lowell Sun. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. A black bear broke into a home in Hancock, New Hampshire. On Monday, Aug. 8, a black bear was The Boucher family says they're just glad they weren't outside when their unexpected house guest decided to pay them a visit. They ransacked the kitchens in those instances, Wattles said. 2023, Charter Communications, all rights reserved. If you see a bear on your property, the division says, check it for things that may attract bears, such as food or food waste. t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0]; For landlords, restaurants, & campgrounds, Protect your crops and orchards from black bears, contact the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife. "As you see, it's a good size bear, especially in this neighborhood," Boucher's dad said. "Big coyotes, foxes, rabbits, everything, I feel like we've had plenty of raccoons, possumsturkeys," Boucher said. If a bear is in a populated area, contact the Environmental Police Radio Room at 1 (800) 632-8075 or the nearest MassWildlife District Office to report the sighting and get advice. "The bear walked down the hill and across the street into the woods," Susan Morrissey, who lives in the area, said. Della Ripa has recently experienced several bear encounters on his property. To track bear populations for research, MassWildlife needs to know where cubs have been observed. Backyard chickens are also an easy meal for black bears, he said. Over a dozen towns, mostly in Massachusetts and north of the city, have reported bear sightings. 2023 Cox Media Group. Bird feeders are literally baiting bears to come onto decks to find food.. ** 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. Some bears, mostly young males and some breeding females, live in other eastern Massachusetts communities along Route 495, the division said. While not reporting, he enjoys long-distance running. A black bear was seen on Wentworth Avenue in Lowell. t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)}(window, Sightings Map - MassBears Sightings Map Sighting reports will appear on the map below. According to the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, black bears in the state have multiplied and expanded their territory eastward since the 1970s. Learn More. 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. Boston 25 News facebook feed(Opens a new window), Boston 25 News twitter feed(Opens a new window), Boston 25 News youtube feed(Opens a new window), School administrators: Create a closings account, Police investigating large crime scene at home in Quincy, Caught on video: Snowboarder lucky to be alive after steep fall at Tuckerman Ravine in NH, Boy, 10, dies from injuries after fight at trampoline park, Calling all Kyles: City of Kyle looks to break world record, needs your help, DA: 15-year-old girl dies nearly one week after being struck by car in driveway in Middleton. Please limit your input to 500 characters. Police departments and residents reported several bear sightings across the area in the past several days. First published on July 9, 2021 / 8:30 AM Black bears live and breed in Worcester County, northern Middlesex County, and west to the Berkshires. We live in bear country, Rogers noted, Rogers told us how the bear population has grown over the years. A black bear was seen wandering around Middleton, Massachusetts, on Wednesday, just over three weeks after other bear sightings occurred. An African antelope escaped a zoo in Ludlow and is on the run in Mass. 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. In the 1970s, there was about 100 bears in the area. Boucher and his dad say they've seen all kinds of wildlife over the years at their home, but never anything like this before. n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; The bears got into the. We are studying black bears in Massachusetts to estimate population size and distribution, and provide other information about bear movement and conflict with humans. 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. If you need assistance, please contact the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife. "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. "I came out the side of the house and the bear was right on the side out back," said Gary Drake, a Chelmsford resident. CHICOPEE, Mass. This station is part of Cox Media Group Television. Wildlife officials say many of the families in those . 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. Some page levels are currently hidden. The last one caused a huge mess. n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; There have been several sightings across town, including the area of the Interstate 93 overpass on Saturday morning. Bear Sightings in Danvers and West Peabody Aug 1, 2022 Homeowner Chases Bear Out Of His Home For the Second Time bears . if (typeof(window.bgmpGdpr) !== 'undefined' && !window.bgmpGdpr.isOptedOut()) { Western Mass News (WGGB/WSHM). Get the best experience and stay connected to your community with our Spectrum News app. Top-requested sites to log in to services provided by the state. 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. Please limit your input to 500 characters. Please let us know how we can improve this page. We havent received any negative encounters with people, but thats always a concern when they enter homes, he added. Young bears and wandering males often find themselves east of Route 495. Updated: Jun 14, 2021 / 11:54 PM EDT. fbq('init', '989222871864976'); Stay up to date on all the latest news from Boston.com. A .mass.gov website belongs to an official government organization in Massachusetts. This is a good opportunity for interested citizens to contribute to wildlife conservation science! Please do not include personal or contact information. Top-requested sites to log in to services provided by the state. 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. Take your trash out the morning of pick-up day, not the night before, Make sure your trash is in the can and not on the sidewalk, Sprinkle ammonia on and double bag your trash to reduce odors, Avoid putting meat scraps, oily or greasy food, and sweets on your compost pile. Live updates from Twitter on the 2023 Boston Marathon, answered, Middlesex... Ma ( WGGB/WSHM ) only on official, secure websites is part of Cox Media Group Television on! Have backyard chickens, they have to use electric fencing, Wattles said such encounters are not restricted the. Massachusetts and north of the city, have reported bear sightings in Danvers and west to the UNTIL... 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