August 2, 2023 By Carol Britton Meyer
The black bear that made an appearance in Hingham, Hull, Cohasset, and surrounding communities a month ago and continues to have a presence on the South Shore returned to Hingham in the late morning or early afternoon Monday, enjoying a swim in a backyard pool and a meal of blueberries and apples at another location during his visit.
The bear has the characteristics of a male, is likely around two years old, and poses no threat to the public at this time, Animal Control Officer Leslie Badger told the Select Board last night. At that time, the bear had been in Hingham for more than 24 hours.
Learning from her first experience with the bear, Badger said that while she continues to update the appropriate people, neighborhoods, the state environmental police, and the Massachusetts Dept. of Fish and Game on the bear’s whereabouts, she’s not sharing the bear’s exact location on social media to avoid what happened before — people from Hingham and other communities showing up in their vehicles where the bear had been spotted “and trying to walk up to him,” she explained.
This is for the bear’s safety and to take every precaution with the general public, even though he “is just moving around not bothering anyone,” Badger said. “We also don’t want to disturb the peace of those living on private property where he has been seen.”
Badger said she’s keeping an eye on the bear’s location and notifying local businesses, restaurants offering outdoor dining, churches, the schools so sports teams can be notified, and individuals she runs into at locations where the bear has made an appearance.
According to Badger, the environmental police and Fish and Game Dept. say it’s not uncommon for black bears to be seen in Massachusetts, although it’s new for one to visit this area, and that they feel there can be a peaceful coexistence with the community as they move from place to place. “There are no plans to trap and relocate the bear unless a serious threat is posed to the bear or to the public,” Badger explained.
Black bears are attracted to compost piles, grain, and fruit trees, and they tend to like fish but not meat. In one community, the bear ate the grain from a chicken coop but avoided the chickens.
“Black bears aren’t known to attack anyone unless they are threatened or cornered with no way to escape,” according to Badger.
“They may stand up and roar, but if given enough space, they keep their distance.”
When Badger was called to the pool where the bear was swimming, he was “having a great time. He climbed over the fence, and when I made my presence known by yelling and clapping my hands, he went back over the fence and left the yard,” she said. “The bear didn’t pose any threat.”
That said, pet owners are advised to steer their pets clear of the bear to avoid any interaction between the two. “The bear has been docile, and no incidents with pets have been reported in Hingham or the other towns he has visited, but if a dog interacts or tries to go near the bear, he could react,” Badger said.
When a bear makes an appearance in a neighborhood, she patrols the area, letting neighbors, people who drive by or are in their yards, and others she encounters know about it, asking them to pass the word on to neighbors.
Anyone who spots a bear can call the Hingham Police business line at (781) 749-1212 or dial 911 if any threat is posed to either the public or the bear. “We will respond immediately,” Badger said.
For more information about black bears, go to https://www.mass.gov/service-details/learn-about-black-bears.