Local News

Maps: Where bears have been seen in Mass. this summer

Black bears have been spotted all over eastern Massachusetts this summer.

Easton police posted a photo from a surveillance video that showed a black bear near a regional high school Tuesday evening. Easton Police Department

By Susannah Sudborough

August 18, 2022

Easton is now the latest town in Massachusetts with a black bear roaming around.

Easton police posted on Facebook Tuesday evening that a black bear was spotted near the railroad bed behind Southeastern Regional Vocational Technical High School in South Easton on Monday.

“These bears are now becoming a common sight in our area. Be aware and alert of your surroundings while utilizing wooded areas in town,” the department wrote.

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But Easton is far from alone. Over a dozen towns, mostly in Massachusetts and north of the city, have reported bear sightings.

According to the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, black bears in the state have multiplied and expanded their territory eastward since the 1970s.

Black bears live and breed in Worcester County, northern Middlesex County, and west to the Berkshires.

Some bears, mostly young males and some breeding females, live in other eastern Massachusetts communities along Route 495, the division said. Young bears and wandering males often find themselves east of Route 495.

But many of this summer’s bear sightings have occurred far beyond the areas of the state the division considers established or expanding territory for black bears.

The Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife mapped where black bears have established territory and what areas they are expanding their territory into. – Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife

Below is a map of where bears have been spotted in Massachusetts and New Hampshire this summer.

Timeline of recent black bear sightings in Massachusetts and New Hampshire:

Black bear sightings in Massachusetts this summer

Thursday, June 23, 2022

An injured black bear which had been struck by a car in Middleborough was found stranded on the median of Route 495 in Raynham.
Saturday, July 9, 2022

A black bear was spotted on Deering Drive in Tewksbury.
Sunday, July 10, 2022

A black bear was seen on Wentworth Avenue in Lowell.
Wednesday, July 13, 2022

A black bear was seen climbing into a koi pond in Pepperell.
Monday, July 18, 2022

A black bear broke into a home in Hancock, New Hampshire.
Tuesday, July 19, 2022

A black bear was spotted in Woburn and in Wilmington.
Thursday, August 4, 2022

A black bear was seen in a backyard in Boxford after being spotted several other times earlier that week.
Sunday, August 7, 2022

A black bear was seen on Centre Street in Danvers and at Corbeil Park in West Peabody.
Monday, August 8, 2022

A black bear was spotted in Middleton Square in Middleton.
Thursday, August 11, 2022

Hancock Campground in Lincoln, New Hampshire, closed for two weeks due to increased bear activity.
Monday, August 15, 2022

A black bear was spotted behind Southeastern Regional Vocational Technical High School in South Easton.

Division of Fisheries and Wildlife tips for preventing bears from coming near your home:

Remove bird feeders
Take your trash out the morning of pick-up day, not the night before
Make sure your trash is in the can and not on the sidewalk
Sprinkle ammonia on and double bag your trash to reduce odors
Avoid putting meat scraps, oily or greasy food, and sweets on your compost pile
Feed your pets indoors
Clean grills and barbecues

If you see a bear in your neighborhood, the division says to yell and make lots of noise, as its instinct will be to leave the area. If you see a bear on your property, the division says, check it for things that may attract bears, such as food or food waste.