Police are warning residents of Wilmington, Massachusetts, to be on the lookout for a bear that has been spotted in the area of the Interstate 93 overpass on Saturday morning.
Police said on Facebook that they have received two reports of bear sightings in the area of Woburn Street between the I-93 overpass and Concord Street.
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Residents are being urged to remove bird feeders and secure their trash barrels.
"Under no circumstances should you approach the bear should you see it," Wilmington police said.
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“We’re spending the weekend inside," said Caitlyn McIssac, a Wilmington resident. "Our yard's fenced in and we have a dog. None of us are really going out independently. Just need to make sure everyone stays safe, and obviously a black bear throws a wrench into playing outside on a nice summer day.”
The safety of pets is a key concern for many Wilmington residents, such as Kevin Furlong.
"There’s a lot of woods behind us out back here, close to where the bears were sighted. So we’re not letting the dogs out by themselves. Just have to be careful.”
Bear sightings have been on the rise in recent weeks across Massachusetts, including one bear that was captured on camera in the Tewksbury/Lowell area.
Black bear attacks are rare and the animals are not generally aggressive, but they should still be considered dangerous, wildlife officials say.
