black bear from MassWildlife video screenshot.JPG

A large, lumbering black bear makes its way through a suburban backyard in this screenshot from a new MassWildlife video about how to reduce encounters between humans and bears.

(MASSWILDLIFE)

SPRINGFIELD— They're big, black and hungry, and they could be headed for your backyard.

We're talking about black bears – large omnivores who are awake and on the prowl, scouring swampy areas and knocking down bird feeders in search of an early spring meal.

This time of year, in particular, when traditional food sources are still scarce for the Bay State's estimated 4,000 bruins, there's an increased chance of human-bear encounters if certain steps aren't taken to reduce such encounters.

With that, MassWildlife's bear experts are once again urging people to take down bird feeders and to secure trash cans and other potential food source for bears, who'll eat just about anything – even your chickens. That's also why MassWildlife recommends electric fences around chicken coups.

This is the time of year when suburban Massachusetts police logs suddenly start including entries about black bear sightings. And such sightings are no longer limited to Western Massachusetts as bears continue to wander eastward, including beyond the I-495 belt and into suburban Boston.

A wayward bear even managed to find its way to sandy Cape Cod a few years ago, upending conventional wisdom about bears' preferred habitat in the Bay State. Here in Greater Springfield, bear sightings have become increasingly common, with bears showing up in the city proper and its densely populated suburbs.

"Please do your part and keep bears wild by removing any food sources from your property," MassWildlife officials say, urging people to watch the state agency's new video on bears.

Securing or removing potential food sources – bird feeders, garbage, pet food, or open compost – is the best way to secure your property from a bear invasion, according to the experts. Black bears have excellent memories and will travel long distances to come back to a place where they once had a good feed.

In Southwick, police are urging residents to leave bears alone if they spot them in their backyards. The advice comes after a good-sized bear recently visited Gargon Terrace, a suburban street off Route 57.

"DO NOT UNDER ESTIMATE a bear's ability to run or climb. Even with their large size, bears have been known to run in excess of 30 mph and can scale a tree in seconds. You WILL NOT outrun a bear!!!" Southwick police said on the department's Facebook page.

