Today in TechHow’d the bear get there? Cape Cod has first ever black bear sighting
Now that summer has officially begun, the bridges and roadways leading to Cape Cod, Massachusetts are predictably filled with thousands upon thousands of vacationers. But there's one vacationer that's proved to be quite unwelcome: The first ever black bear has been spotted wandering the massive resort island community.
Though plenty of bears live in Massachusetts, up until now, no bear has been spotted on Cape Cod. This is primarily because Cape Cod is separated from the rest of the state by the Cape Cod Canal. For the animal to get to Provincetown on the very tip of Cape Cod where it was spotted, it would have to have walked hundreds of miles from its usual habitat and swum at least 500 feet across the canal.
For residents on Massachusetts' Cape Cod, the story of the wandering black bear has already become something of legend. Attempts by state wildlife officials to capture the bear over the past week have proven futile, and have since been suspended. Perhaps the bear was simply uninterested in what the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife used for bait: Dunkin Donuts.
Officials believe the bear is searching for a mate. But because it's the only bear on Cape Cod, it is going to spend many lonely evenings in the area's few limited stretches of wilderness.
State officials do not believe the bear to be a threat to public safety. Nevertheless, residents are advised not to feed or otherwise approach the bear.
[Image source: Appalachian Adventures]
This article was written by Fox Van Allen and originally appeared on Tecca
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