WELLS, Maine — Wells Animal Control received several reports of bears in one particular area. They say it’s just that time of year. Bears are coming out of hibernation and looking for food.
A woman in Wells looked outside late Friday night and saw a black bear in her backyard. “This morning and last night we received a couple calls that a bear was in the backyards here, and some in the areas and forestry over there,” Wells Animal Control Officer Jacqueline Laliberte said.
Laliberte doesn’t think neighbors have any reason to be worried. “They’re really not dangerous, they’re not going to attack you or eat you or anything. They’re really starting to come out of their dens now from winter and all their fat deposits are diminished so they’re really looking for their food sources.”
Animal control believes it’s the same bear that keeps showing up year after year. Neighbors say they’re being cautious but they’re not concerned. “As long as we don’t bother him we’ll be fine and it’s nice to know someone is letting people know they’re here,” Wells resident Justin Titcomb said.
Laliberte says there are a few things people should do to keep the bears out of their yards. “We mainly just tell people that if they’ve got bird feeders up or trash out especially on trash days to make sure those are contained. The bird feeders especially have been a problem,” Laliberte said.
Animal control says they’re keeping documented reports of each bear sighting and that’s about all they can do unless the bear starts getting near the roadway or showing up more frequently.