WEST GREENWICH, R.I. (WPRI) — Drivers discovered the body of a black bear Tuesday that had likely been hit and killed by a car on I-95, according to the R.I. Department of Environmental Management (DEM).

The black bear was first reported to the DEM around 7 a.m. It’s body was found between exits 18 and 19 near the Big River Management Area, which stretches between West Greenwich and Coventry.

The 220-pound male black bear had been dead for some time and was “likely hit” by an oncoming car overnight, according to the DEM.

This comes after a Coventry resident spotted a black bear passing through his backyard late last week.

The DEM said that, although there are only a handful of resident black bears living in Rhode Island, the population is expected to increase as younger bears migrate from neighboring states in search of “a territory to call their own.”

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