Bear nicknamed Pumpkin to be killed after attacking Hanson goats. What we know

HANSON — A local bear nicknamed "Pumpkin" is set to be euthanized after attacking livestock in Hanson for the second time Wednesday evening, the Hanson Police Department wrote in a Facebook post Thursday morning.

“Last evening one of the local bears once again got into a resident's barn and killed a goat. Since the bear, known as Pumpkin, has gotten a taste for livestock he will have to be euthanized,” Hanson Police wrote.

“We know people will not be happy with this decision,” they continued.

The Hanson Police Department and the Massachusetts Environmental Police Department spent two hours tracking the bear after the attack but were unable to safely take a shot without the risk of endangering residents, Hanson Police said.

Bear warning on Halloween

On Halloween, Hanson Police warned trick-or-treaters of Pumpkin’s presence in the area.

“Pumpkin the bear has been spotted near the Whitman Town Line off of Spring St. Please do not leave food unattended outside. Remember he likes pumpkins!” they wrote in a post on Facebook.

“We will have cruisers in the area. Please be careful and make noise. He has not been aggressive towards humans, but has been known to go after small livestock, so please secure your goats and chickens.”

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Bear attacked goats on Wednesday night

Police Chief Timothy Hanlon said that the bear was spotted about 11:45 a.m. on Wednesday in the area of Commercial Street between Linden Street and Dyer Avenue.

Later that evening, Pumpkin made his way into a resident’s barn, despite the resident having secured the barn with an electric fence and reinforced doors.

“Bears are very resourceful when they find a food source. Unfortunately, the bear is becoming too comfortable in the area and has found too many food sources,” the Hanson Police Department said.

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When will — and won't — police kill a bear?

Hanson officials clarified that they would only be going after the one problem bear.

“We cannot and will not take out a bear just because it is in your yard,” they wrote.

"However, if the bear is showing no fear of humans or is attempting to enter an area with livestock, please notify police immediately," they wrote.

"We cannot just relocate a problem bear in this area."

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How far can a bear travel?

Hanson police warned Pumpkin might not stay in Hanson.

"This is not just a Hanson issue. Black bears can travel up to 15 miles in a day. Surrounding Police Departments and the Enviromental Police have been notified about this particular bear," Hanson Police wrote.

How many bears are in Southeastern Massachusetts?

According to MassWildlife's Black Bear and Furbearer Biologist Dave Wattles, there are at least two, maybe three bears in Southeastern Massachusetts.

“Some bears spend their entire lives in very urban places, but the threat to the public is still minimal,” he said. “They’re using very developed places, but we can allow black bears to be there because they’re not inherently aggressive towards people.”

Wattles clarified that if the bear posed a public safety threat, it would be a different story.

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Resident reaction to plan to kill Pumpkin the bear

Residents on social media and officials reacted to the unfolding situation with sadness.

“We are disappointed that the situation has led to this decision,” the Hanson Police Department said. “We do not want this to become a recurring problem each year.”

Officials are urging residents to take some time to learn about living with bears to prevent something like this from happening again.

How to keep bears out of your yard

"We recommend residents remove food sources around their homes, like bird feeders, which train the bear to come into your yard to try to find food, increasing the chances of an interaction,” said Wattles.

“Shooting the bear doesn’t get to the root problem, which is an unsecured food source. We try to work with people who have backyard chickens or bees to use electric fencing, but it can also be used for larger livestock as well."

Resources for preventing conflict with bears can be found on Mass.gov.

This article originally appeared on The Enterprise: Hanson police to kill black bear 'Pumpkin' after goats attacked