Where is the South Shore bear now?

Late Tuesday night, a Quincy police officer on patrol spotted a black bear near the BJ's Wholesale Club on Crown Colony Drive.

On Friday, Marshfield police said the black bear was spotted in Marshfield.

The black bear − or perhaps now bears − has captured the attention of the South Shore in recent weeks.

A Cohasset family's dog recently came face to face with a bear..

Vincent Dunn, of Jerusalem Road, said the family's 110-pound Great Pyrenees, Lars, encountered the bear in the backyard of their home, Patriot Ledger news partner WCVB reported.

"It was ... holy moly!" Dunn said. "I haven't seen a black bear even in Alaska, never mind in Cohasset."

Lars calmly wagged his tail and didn't bark as he looked at the bear from across a row of plants.

"He generally saves (the barking) for the middle of the night," Dunn said of his dog.

Dunn said he could hear the bear make a low growl.

"He was not all that excited to see Lars," he said.

He said he grabbed Lars by the collar and walked him back to their house.

"I thought about it for a second, then I was like: 'I don't want this to go south,'" Dunn said.

The bear left.

"Climbed down these rocks and into the pond. He started swimming and swam right across, and then just ambled into the woods like he owned the place," Dunn told WCVB.

The latest black bear sightings on the South Shore also included Hingham and Hull.

More: Black bear sightings on the South Shore raise questions. Here are some answers.

Hingham police said the bear entered the 400-plus acre World's End park Monday. They wrote this on Facebook:

"Interesting day so far...Our officers helped with safe passage through #Cohasset for our furry friend. He made his way through Border St., South Main St., 100 Pond St., Clay Spring, CJC Hwy, Stop and Shop, Chittenden Lane, Fairoaks, #Dunkin Donuts, #CHOPS, Rose Hill, King Street, and was last seen on North Main headed towards the RTF / Cedar Street."

Hanover police reported a black bear sighting not far from the Hanover Crossing shopping center last week.

The bear was seen between 1775 Washington St., which is Hanover Crossing's street address, and Mercedes-Benz of Hanover near routes 3 and 53.

Facebook posts also reported sightings of the bear in Scituate, Marshfield, Norwell, Mansfield, Cohasset and Pembroke.

So what to do if you see the bear? Hingham police have this advice on Facebook:"Please note that if the bear is sighted in Hingham you do not need to call to report it to the Hingham Police Department unless it is a hazardous situation for you or for the bear. The Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game will only take steps to relocate the bear if it is a danger. Published reports by local Police Departments and various Facebook groups have said this has not been the case so far. The bear has been very docile and is a sight to see!"

There have been black bear sightings throughout the region in recent weeks, including one in Carver where a bear reportedly crashed a wedding reception. And in New Hampshire, a bear climbed into a truck window and helped itself to the driver's snacks.

WCVB also reported a sighting in Needham and posted a picture on its website of a bear walking past an unsuspecting gardener Friday.

State wildlife experts advise anyone encountering a bear to leave it alone and back away. Also, do not leave food sources outside, everything from bird feeders to pet food, since bears have long memories for where they found food.

"If a bear is seen in town, leave the animal alone and keep pets leashed," Nicole McSweeney, assistant director of outreach and education for MassWildlife, told WickedLocal.com. "A gathering of people not only stresses the animal but adds to the risk of having a bear chased out into traffic or into a group of bystanders."

Black bears can grow to between 4 and 6 feet in length and weigh up to 660 pounds, according to Britannica. They prefer to avoid people, but do not like to be surprised.

MassWildlife estimates 4,500 black bears live in Massachusetts, but they are not common in the southeastern part of the state. They typically live and breed in western Massachusetts, but their territory has been expanding eastward in recent years.

May through July are the peak months for bear activity, with yearlings leaving their mothers to strike out on their own. The peak of the bears' mating season is in June.

The state's Large Animal Response Team, made up of MassWildlife biologists and Massachusetts Environmental Police, will only intervene and relocate a bear if poses a significant risk to the public or has no safe way to leave the area, she said.

Material from WickedLocal.com and Patriot Ledger staff writer Fred Hanson was used in this story. If you've see a bear or caught it on camera, we'd love to hear from you at newsroom@patriotledger.com.

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This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: South Shore black bear still roaming the South Shore