The Orono Bog Boardwalk was closed earlier this week due to a sighting of a bear and her two cubs. Tracks were seen in the beginning section of the walk and also entering the center of the bog.
Signs of bear activity in the area are not uncommon, though closures at the Bog Walk are very rare, according to the boardwalk’s director Rebecca Van Beneden. Tracks are seen along the boardwalk at least once a week and several bears were also recently spotted on the Deer Trail within the neighboring Bangor City Forest.
Boardwalk users should walk slowly, being vigilant for bears and other wildlife. If a bear is spotted, I would not approach the animal or run from it. Instead, I suggest backing away while raising your arms, creating a larger appearance. Black bears are not typically aggressive, but females with young are known to be protective and should be avoided.
The boardwalk is a one-mile loop that traverses boggy habitats consisting of abundant peat moss and other acid-tolerant plants. It begins at the forested edge in the Bangor City Forest, crossing the Orono town line after 800 feet, then into the portion that is owned by the University of Maine.
The Orono Bog includes 616 acres of wetlands whose conditions support the insects and plants that comprise much of a bear’s diet.
In the spring, bears often forage on grasses and other plants. Later in the summer and fall, they favor species such as black chokecherry, bunchberry, black huckleberries, small cranberry, highbush and low sweet blueberry.