Wareham DNR Reports ‘Boo Boo’ the Black Bear Is in Town
“Boo Boo” the bear has apparently made his way down to Wareham.
The black bear who has been nicknamed “Boo Boo” by area police departments and residents has been spotted in a number of communities in Southeastern Massachusetts in recent weeks, working his way through Norton, Taunton, Lakeville, Middleboro, Kingston, and Carver, and now it is believed he is the same black bear seen over the past few days in South Wareham.
The Wareham Department of Natural Resources posted on its Facebook page that if anyone does see the bear, “you do not need to call to report it to the Wareham Police of WDNR unless it is a hazardous situation for you or for the bear.”
As the Wareham DNR noted, Boo Boo appears to be docile and does not need to be relocated, and will eventually work his way back to his usual home (also, we should note, we used a stock image of a black bear for this article, and that is not Boo Boo in the photo).
June and July comprise the black bear mating season, and it’s likely that is why Boo Boo has been on the move in recent weeks, searching for a mate. However, he will also be on the lookout for food while visiting the SouthCoast, and the Wareham Department of Natural Resources offered a few tips to keep bears from hanging around your yard a little too long, and we added in a few more here as well.
Ways to Bear-Proof Your Home:
– Remove bird feeders from your yard. You can put them back out after bear mating season ends at the end of July.
– Secure trash containers.
– Clean and cover all grills.
– Keep all human and pet food indoors.
– Don’t add meat or sweet-smelling fruits and vegetables to your compost piles.
– Harvest fruits and berries from your yard/garden as quickly as possible.
– Don’t leave scented items like candles (even when unlit), suntan lotion, bug spray, etc. outdoors.
– Keep pets indoors unless supervised, and keep them on a leash when outdoors.
Anyone who captures a photo of Boo Boo or any other black bears on the SouthCoast, please send them over to us via our app, along with where the bear was spotted.