ORANGE — He may not have stolen any picnic baskets, but a bear drew an extensive police response in Orange Monday night.
Massachusetts Environmental Police responded to reports of a male bear pillaging garbage cans and eating out of bird feeders over the last week to subdue the animal and transport it to a safe area.
The bear, which weighed over 300 pounds, was located Monday night and knocked out with tranquilizers, then transported to an undisclosed rural location, according to environmental police. It will be monitored until it has fully recovered from the chemicals.
Prior to immobilization, officers found the bear upright and retrieving a bird feeder. Residents are cautioned that bears that find food sources will often revisit that site, drawing them closer to people and resulting in bears losing their fear of people — a process called habituation.
When a bear is found in a developed area, it is best to stay away and report it to the Massachusetts Environmental Police at 800-632-8075.
Police from Orange and Athol assisted in the capture.
You can reach Tom Relihan at:
trelihan@recorder.com
or 413-772-0261, ext. 264
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