Black Bear Spotted in Medfield, Now Near Newton

A black bear first spotted in on Saturday is likely the same bear that has traveled to Westwood, Norwood, Dedham, , and is now in . 

The bear was seen:

• Saturday morning, Medfield -- areas of Granite Street, South Street, Indian Hill Road and Orchard Street 
• Saturday night, Norwood -- areas of Churchill Drive, Iverness Road, Cypress Street, and Norwest Woods 
• Sunday, Westwood -- area of Nahatan Street  
• Sunday night, Dedham -- area of Great Meadow Road, Eagan Terrace, Massachusetts Avenue, Commonwealth Avenue, Beacon Street, Riverside Drive 
• Monday morning, Needham/Newton line -- area of Second Avenue

Reports of black bear sightings also occurred near Legacy Place in Dedham, as well as in parts of Walpole, according to a MyFoxBoston.com report.

Sightings in the area this time of year aren't unheard of, according to Reginald Zimmerman, a spokesperson for the Massachusetts Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs.

Earlier this month, authorities captured a black bear in Wellfleet.

"One thing is that we're in the midst of mating season, which will go until mid-July," Zimmerman said. "The majority of bears that we're seeing are young males, and they're searching for a mate."

The bears, though, don't pose an immediate threat, he added.

"With black bears, they tend to be afraid of humans," Zimmerman said. "That being said, we encourage people to keep their distance from them."

For residents who spot black bears near their homes, Zimmerman said banging pots together or making loud noise can help scare the animals off.

"When you see coyotes, essentially it's the same thing," Zimmerman said. "For the welfare of the animal, we tell people to stay away from them."

Black bears have been increasing in numbers during the last 30 years, according to Mass WildLife's website. While most sightings are common in western Massachusetts, the bears are also common in the central region, but are usually rare or absent in the eastern part of the state.

While citizens should express caution when spotting a black bear, the animals are not overtly vicious, accoring to Mass WildLife:

"Despite popular belief, black bears are not fierce. Their first response is usually to flee and in woodland areas the bears may disappear long before they are seen. Black bears sometimes can become habituated to human presence and conditioned to human food sources. These circumstances may then lead to damage or depredations which have unfortunate consequences if people then destroy the bear out of fear or to alleviate the damage. Black bears rarely harm people, although minor defensive attacks can occur when people tease or closely approach bears in parks or campgrounds."

Have you seen the black bear in the area? Let us know in our comments section below, upload your photos here and add the location to our interactive map!

Westwood Patch Editor Matthew Perkins and Norwood Patch Editor Kelly Glista contributed to this report.