Black bear spotted in Falmouth neighborhood

July 27 by Dennis Hoey dhoey@mainetoday.com

FALMOUTH  MAINE— The Falmouth Police Department says a small black bear weighing about 100 pounds has been spotted looking for food in the neighborhood around Mountain and Blackstrap roads.

This bear was seen in a backyard on Fox Hall Road
(off Leighton Road) in west Falmouth on Saturday.
Photos courtesy Allen Evans

Police are urging residents to secure any food, trash or bird feeders that have been left outside their homes.

Police said the bear has entered several backyards, but has not displayed any signs of aggression toward people or other animals.

Falmouth police are working with the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife to relocate the animal.

According to the Department’s website, the black bear is the smallest of the three species of bears that inhabit North America. A male averages 250-600 pounds and can reach heights up to 6 feet – from the tip of the nose to the tail – while a female averages 100-400 pounds.

The state says black bears are opportunists, and will feed on a wide range of vegetation and animal matter. They are very intelligent and will adapt to new food sources, such as agricultural crops, bird feeders and untended garbage.

Jim says: "Famouth is near where we are staying. I hope the bear hangs around. There is a bun shop in Brunswick on the way there".

Actually, the Maine black bear population is about 25,000, but most of them are away from the coast.