Bears Spotted In Wayland: Here's What To Know

WAYLAND, MA — Wayland police are reporting some recent bear sightings in town, a common spring occurrence that residents should be prepared to deal with.

Male and female bears and cubs really get going in April and May, searching urban, suburban and wooded areas for calories after slumbering through much of the winter. That means a bear might wander into your yard if you have a birdfeeder, bag of trash or even a grill with cooking residue outside.

One Wayland resident reported on Facebook seeing a bear in their yard around 5:30 a.m. Tuesday near Williams and Hampshire roads.

"If you see a black bear in your yard, enjoy the sighting, but be sure that you are not doing anything to attract the bear to your yard. Make noise by banging pots and pans, shouting, or using an air horn to try to scare the bear off. Once the bear has left the area, take a close look at your yard for potential bear food sources such as bird feeders, pet food, dirty barbecue grills, open compost, or trash and REMOVE those food sources IMMEDIATELY," Wayland police said on Monday.

MORE: Black Bears Emerging In Massachusetts: How To Be Bear Aware

Black bears have a wide range in Massachusetts. Bears typically don't set up dens east of the Worcester area due to man-made barriers like highways. But some bears, especially males, will wander much farther east in search of food — sometimes even as far as the Boston area.

Wayland is right at the eastern edge of the expanding range of black bear territory in the state, according to MassWildlife biologists. The state estimates there are about 4,500 bears living across the state.