Bear Weighing Over 300 Lbs. Relocated In Orange
ORANGE (CBS) -- Massachusetts Environmental Police relocated a black bear they said had been feeding on garbage and bird feeders in Orange on Monday evening.
The male bear, which Environmental Police said weighed over 300 lbs., was chemically immobilized with the help of the Orange and Athol Police Departments. It was taken to a rural location, where authorities monitored it until it woke up and recovered from the chemicals used to immobilize it.
Environmental Police said the bear had been spotted around Orange several times for over a week, and was immobilized shortly after it was seen standing upright to get food from a bird feeder. They warned homeowners that, once a bear finds a source of food, they will often come back for more. This is part of a process called habituation, in which bears come closer to people and eventually lose their fear of them.
The Environmental Police also reminded the public that, upon finding a bear in a developed area, they should keep away from it and report it to them. They encouraged people to visit Mass.gov/bears for more information.
