After a busy morning in New Bedford, SouthCoast's black bear took a nap in Acushnet.

Matthew Ferreira, Standard-Times
Updated ·5 min read
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ACUSHNET — After a long morning hunting for bird feeders through backyards in New Bedford's North End on Tuesday, SouthCoast's apparent resident black bear reemerged through the woods in the town of Acushnet just after noontime before popping up yet again in Marion on Wednesday.

"The infamous black bear has wandered into Acushnet from the Fine City of New Bedford," Acushnet police posted on Facebook at 12:08 p.m. Tuesday. "It was last seen in the area of Nye’s Lane. Please bring all pets inside and leave the bear to do it’s things."

Steve Costa was at work when the bear came into his parents' yard in Acushnet around 2:30 p.m.

"They called animal control and police which came and saw him and then left and told us to leave him be that he would eventually leave," Costa said. "He climbed the tree, ate some leaves and fell asleep."

Costa went to his parents house after they'd called him about the bear, and saw it leave through the woods abutting their backyard, which he said goes on for 100s of acres, and could have taken the bear to Fairhaven, Mattapoisett or other parts of Acushnet.

The black bear spotted around New Bedford's far North End Tuesday morning made its way into an Acushnet backyard in the afternoon and climbed this tree before apparently taking a nap.
The black bear spotted around New Bedford's far North End Tuesday morning made its way into an Acushnet backyard in the afternoon and climbed this tree before apparently taking a nap.

Acushnet students miss out on recess because of the bear

Meanwhile, students at Acushnet Public Schools had to forego recess as a precaution.

"Out of an abundance of caution, we kept the students inside during recess time yesterday," Superintendent Dr. Paula Bailey said via email Wednesday. "I was in constant communication with local agencies, including the Acushnet Police Dept., as they were monitoring or tracking the bear's whereabouts. Once it was confirmed that the bear moved away from the campus, we were able to resume after school outdoor activities."

Mass. Environmental Police, MassWildLife and Acushnet Police Department have not responded to The Standard-Times' inquiries as of this publishing.

Recap: SouthCoast's infamous black bear turned up in Acushnet. Here's what we know.

Next stop: Marion

At 12:47 p.m., Marion police posted on Facebook that they and Mass. Environmental Police were aware the bear had been spotted in town.

"As with any wild animal of this size, please refrain from feeding it or approaching it. We also recommend that you keep pets indoors," the post read.

Despite this report, David Wattles, a biologist for MassWildLife specializing in black bears and furbearers, said after the last report in Acushnet around 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, things had quieted down in terms of calls about the bear.

"It is still out and about, but it hadn't been a cause to really respond much today," Wattles said, noting its been making its way through less populated terrain. "There's not really cause to move it — that's where bears are."

Wattles declined to say what other towns the bear may have appeared in since its Acushnet stay, noting it was out of public safety that state authorities decided to stop providing updates on its latest whereabouts.

"It’s caused such a stir with the public, and then the problem is the public is then is out trying to find it and whatnot and it just creates issues," he said.

Bears in Massachusetts

With the state's peak season for bear sightings now underway, and Mass. Environmental Police Lt. James Cullen on Tuesday said the recent black bear sightings may be a sign of things to come in the coming months, here's some tips and info from MassWildLife about bears and how to navigate close encounters:

  • May, June, and July are peak months for bear activity and reported conflicts with bears in Massachusetts. This is because yearlings (1-year-old cubs) are leaving their mothers for the first time and are dispersing / finding new territories.

  • June is the peak of the mating season for bears, so there will be lots of activity and movement associated with mating.

  • Additionally, bears are searching for food at a time of year when natural foods like berries are still not available. These factors contribute to high levels of bear activity and interaction with communities at this time of year.

  • As the bear range expands eastward toward the most densely populated communities of Massachusetts, bear sightings are increasing, and MassWildlife is receiving an increasing number of inquiries from the public about what to do if they see a bear.

  • While people living in western Massachusetts have been coexisting with bears for years, those in the eastern part of the state likely have had black bears living nearby as well. Over the last few years, MassWildlife has confirmed reports of bears in Newton, Chelmsford, North Andover, Amesbury, and Provincetown.

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How to not attract bears to your home

  • Avoid having bird feeders. Bears finding a bird feeder, bird seed, corn or other bird food will often revisit that site. Bird feeders draw bears closer to people, resulting in bears losing their fear of people. This process is called habituation. During winter when bears are denned, chances of a bear coming to your feeder are decreased, although MassWildlife biologists have tracked bears that remained active for some or all of the winter if food is available. In general, most bears are denned from mid-December through February.

  • Using an electric fence can deter bears from entering a property.

  • Store all garbage in closed containers in a garage or outbuilding. Do not leave your garbage barrels outside overnight. Rather, put them by the roadside before pickup. Using double bags or sprinkling with ammonia will help reduce odors.

  • Compost responsibly. Do not throw meat scraps, greasy, oily or sweet materials in your compost pile.

  • Clean greasy barbecues and grills after each use. Do not leave food scraps, grease containers or spilled grease in your yard.

  • Do not leave pet food outdoors.

  • The presence of a dog could trigger a bear to be aggressive. Keep dogs leashed and never let dogs chase or interact with bears.

  • If you encounter a bear while with your dog, back away slowly and leave the area.

*Check back for updates to this article.

This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: Black bear emerges in Acushnet after New Bedford sightings Tuesday