Photo: Mass Wildlife
WESTBORO, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — Spring is very much a season of re-awakening, and that includes black bears.
One of North America's largest land-based animals, it has a healthy population in New England.
Animal experts estimate there are about 55,000 black bears currently in New England, with a population that's growing by about 8% each year.
Community Engagement Biologist Meghan Crawford at Massachusetts Wildlife said New England black bears are thriving and expanding, increasing the chances of interactions between people and bears.
Every spring, she recommends that people living near bears remove from their yards things that may attract them, such as trash and pet food. "They've been in these dens for about four to five months, and during this time, they are pretty much not eating, not drinking, not even going to the bathroom," she said. "So, as they emerge from these dens, they are hungry."
In the 1970s and 1980s, bear numbers in New England were down.
But since then, the bear population has been booming from west to east, increasing the chances of a bear encounter. "Wait for that bear to move along, and when it has moved along, step outside and survey your property and see if you accidentally attracted that bear to your yard."
WBZ NewsRadio's Jay Willett (@JayWillettWBZ) reports.