Black Bear Sighted In Leicester Resident's Back Yard
LEICESTER (CBS) -- A black bear was spotted Wednesday morning in the back yard of an Auburn Street resident, local police said in a prepared statement.
The resident, who lives near the Auburn town line, reported the bear sighting to Leicester Police, and officers were dispatched to the home and stayed at the scene until Massachusetts Environmental Police arrived.
The bear stayed in the back yard for a while then went into a wooded area, according to police, who added residents should go to a safe location if they encounter a black bear.
The state Division of Fisheries and Wildlife website offers the following tips to deter encounters with bears: don't feed bears, bring in bird feeders between April and November, secure trash in secure containers placed in outbuildings such as a garage, and pen lifestock in or near a barn at night.
In Massachusetts, black bears are active during the daytime in the spring and fall, with sightings most common around dawn and dusk in the summertime, according to the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife.
