Wareham: Bear spotted likely wandering for a mate, or a new home

State officials say it’s not surprising that a black bear, spotted last month in Taunton has shown up again over the holiday weekend– this time in Wareham.

Fur and black bear project Manager Laura Hajudk, from the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, says in Massachusetts most of the black bear population is from central Massachusetts. Hajudk says male bears move very large distances looking for females and a new home during mating season.

On Sunday night, police received numerous phone calls reporting a bear crossing a section of a shopping plaza near 2421 Cranberry Highway in Wareham.

If anyone sees the bear you can contact that Division of Fisheries and Wildlife by going to their website:ww. MassWildlife.org.

Hajudk says there is no plan to try and relocate the bear.

Black bears can range in size from 4-5 feet long, depending on gender, and can weigh as much as 140-230 pounds.

Hajudk says bears are typically frightened of people and will usually go off into the woods on their own, and the siting nothing to be overly concerned about. She notes that the spike in black bear sightings comes with a rise in the black bear population.

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