Police in North Andover, Massachusetts, are warning residents to be on the lookout for a mother bear and her cub who have been spotted around town.
"We have received multiple calls of a black bear (Momma & Cub) seen in the area of Foster Street and Bridges Lane," North Andover police said in a Facebook post Thursday morning.
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Mother bears are very protective of their cubs, so anyone who sees the bear family is urged not to approach them, not to feed them and not to stop to take photos or videos.
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Resident William Silva did share a photo taken at dusk of the mother bear and her cub sitting about 50 feet up in a large pine tree.
Police are also asking residents in the area to take several other precautions, including removing all outdoor bird feeders, securing any chickens or small livestock and securing all garbage, pet food and livestock food. People are also being asked not to feed their pets outside and to keep dogs on leashes.
"Most bears will leave people alone," police said in their statement, adding that "should you encounter a bear, stand like a tree, make yourself look as large as possible and make as much noise as possible." They also said people should never run from a wild animal.
Anyone with a bear-related emergency is advised to call 911, while non-emergency inquiries can be directed to Massachusetts Environmental Police Dispatch at 800-632-8075 or MassWildlife's Northeast District at 978-772-2145.
