A young black bear's unexpected appearance in a Worcester neighborhood on Friday prompted a response from local authorities and wildlife officials. The bear was seen scaling a tree in the vicinity of Gates Street, close to Clark University. Deemed a juvenile, approximately 80 pounds and likely a yearling recently separated from its mother, this bear's presence drew a curious crowd, all armed with cameras, ready to catch the unusual spectacle.
Dave Wattles, the Black Bear Project leader for MassWildlife, coordinated the capture and remarked, "These bears are now leaving their territory and spreading out and finding new places," as he advised on the proper response to such sightings. The bear was immobilized and safely removed from the location, with plans to relocate it to a more rural setting. "It was darted in the tree with a tranquilizer and then is getting ear tags, and we'll move it out to a more forested area," Wattles explained in a statement.
In a separate encounter, another bear made its way into the downtown Worcester area and found refuge in a resident's backyard. This individual, Steve Fitzpatrick, expressed his relief that his dog was not outdoors at the same time as the bear, stating, "It's literally in our backyard, where I let my dog out this morning at 6 a.m.," according to NBC Boston. Elizabeth Trinidad, a local witness spotted the bear about 9 a.m. and promptly alerted her neighbors to keep their distance. Trinidad later saw the bear seemingly tranquilized and remarked, "He was just standing there, looking at me," her recollection echoed by other residents who watched as the bear succumbed to sleep.
The presence of bears in urban areas such as Worcester is becoming more common, and officials urge the public to maintain distance and refrain from crowding around these wild creatures to avoid exacerbating the situation. "The reason we tolerate that is because they're not inherently aggressive towards people. If people do see a bear in their yard or, in the streets, don't try to crowd around it. Sometimes that can make these affairs worse, as it pushes the bear across traffic and into more developed places," Wattles indicated, based on information from a WCVB report. This guidance comes in the wake of an unfortunate incident where a bear was hit by a vehicle and killed in Worcester.
MassWildlife estimates there to be around 4,500 black bears in the state, with numbers steadily increasing and their habitat expanding eastward. As urban encounters with bears may occur more frequently, it's essential for communities to understand and adequately respond to wildlife within city boundaries for the safety and wellbeing of both animals and residents.
