A male black bear, dubbed Buster, has been routinely spotted in communities around the South Shore recently, while also becoming a bit of a local fixation.
The Plymouth Police Department warned area residents that Buster was foraging for food in people’s trash bins along Bourne Road in the community over Memorial Day weekend and provided tips on how best to stay “bear-safe.”
Plymouth police said their top advice is to leave Buster alone if you see him and that likewise the police plan to do the same, but in the event of an emergency encounter with him to dial 911.
Bears are not common along the South Shore or the South Coast in Massachusetts, according to Mass.gov, which has a map displaying the range of black bears in the state showing an established range in Western and Central Massachusetts, with an “expanding” range in communities west and north of Boston.
The state said there are estimated to be more than 4,500 black bears statewide and their numbers and distribution have been “growing and expanding eastward” since the 1970s.
Mass.gov added young bears and wandering males are most often found east of Interstate 495 — as would be the case with Buster.
Advice the Plymouth police offered to those who may not want to encounter Buster were to take down bird feeders and not to leave pet food outdoors since these can be food for bears and attract them.
Citing the National Park Service, Plymouth police said bears have “incredibly keen sense of smell” and are therefore able to detect food from miles away.
While generally wary of humans, if Buster — or another black bear — approaches you, Plymouth police said to yell, clap or bang objects together, making loud noises to scare off the bear.
Additionally, residents are advised not to leave small pets outside unattended, and should consider attaching noise-making devices, such as bells, to their pet’s collar, so that if a bear appears “it may hear the unfamiliar noise and keep away,” Plymouth police added.
Other bear prevention methods include keeping trash barrels closed and secure and for owners of apiaries or chickens, to keep these secured, with Plymouth police recommending use of an electric fence.
Community social media pages, such as All Things Plymouth, have received an uptick in posts about the bear since the sightings began, with some page members even humorously photo editing the black bear where he wasn’t actually seen, such as at Plymouth Rock.
More recently, the Carver Police Department said there were “several reports” of a black bear in the area of South Carver on Wednesday and asked those in the area to “be vigilant” when outdoors and letting pets out.
In nearby Lakeville, the local police department also said a bear was spotted in the Howland Road area of the community, and encouraged residents to “remain cautious” and not to “willingly engage with the animal.”
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