One night last week, Josh Dominikoski had an unexpected visitor at his Coventry home.
“I was very, very surprised when I opened the camera app and saw a bear on our front porch,” Domenikoski said.
Dominikoski arrived at the front door in time to see the bear scurry away.
“I’ve never seen a bear outside of a zoo, so this was a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” Domenikowski said.
Black bears are emerging from hibernation and are occasionally seen in Rhode Island as hungry animals search for food. Residents also spotted a black bear in Charlestown on April 12 and near the Scituate-Foster line on April 21, said Evan LaCross, spokesman for the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management. On Tuesday, DEM discovered the carcass of a bear that had apparently been hit by a truck on Interstate 95 in West Greenwich.
Bears may move from Massachusetts to Rhode Island
Bear sightings have increased here over the past few years, and sighting a bear in Rhode Island may become more than a once-in-a-lifetime event in the near future.
“I do believe we’re going to continue to see more bears over the next decade or so,” said DEM furbearer expert Morgan Lucot.
Rhode Island is believed to have only a “few” resident black bears, all males, but with populations increasing significantly in neighboring Connecticut and Massachusetts, and young bears leaving “for a territory you can call your own,” , the number of black bears here may increase.
Luket said Rhode Island offers some good habitat for black bears, especially in the west and northwest parts of the state, which is a good sign for the bears’ return.
“Coexisting with bears takes some effort, but I think it’s worth it,” she said. “They are beautiful animals.”
Consider the situation in Massachusetts. In the mid-1970s, the Bay State’s black bear population was estimated to be less than 100, but now there are about 4,500 bears in the state, according to the Massachusetts Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Black bear populations plummet due to habitat loss, hunting and retaliation
Black bear populations first reestablished themselves in western Massachusetts and expanded eastward. DEM says as the bear population grows in Massachusetts, other bears may have and will move south, over the Rhode Island border, in search of their own habitat.
Black bears were common in southern New England when the first European settlers arrived, but habitat was lost due to conversion of forests to farmland, unregulated hunting, and persecution by farmers, who viewed the bears as a threat to nature. Black bears have been brought to the “brink of extinction.”
Luckett said bears recently spotted near homes in the Ocean State were hungry and looking for food after a winter of hibernation.
“They often travel long distances in search of food,” she said.
They may be cubs spending their first spring alone, away from their mother. According to Luckett, the cubs are born in winter and spend the first two winters with their mother before going out on their own in the second spring. She likened the cubs to human teenagers who sometimes make “stupid” decisions as they try to find their way in the world.
If it’s their first time out on their own, it’s likely their first time exploring Rhode Island as well. Luckett said the DEM found no evidence that a female bear had settled here and raised her cubs.
Bears are more likely to look for food near homes in the spring because their wooded habitats haven’t yet begun to provide them with food like berries, Luckett said. Last week in Coventry, Dominiski believes the bear that showed up on his porch also knocked over a neighbor’s bird feeder.
“DEM emphasizes that the mere sighting of a blackbeard does not mean there is a problem with the bear or that it poses a threat to public safety,” LaCross said. “However, interactions between bears and humans, pets, livestock, produce and other property may occur.” question.
Share Rhode Island Tips with Bears
DEM offers the following tips for “coexisting” with black bears:
- Black bears are naturally shy animals but can’t resist free food. Remove bird feeders between April 1 and November 1, when bears are active and secure other potential food sources, to avoid attracting these large mammals to your yard. Place trash in a container and place it at the curb only on the morning of collection.
- To keep bears wild and fearful of humans, it’s important that the public doesn’t approach them. If there are no food attractants in the area, the bears will wander off on their own. If you spot a bear nearby, keep yourself and your pets indoors until the bear leaves.
People can report bear sightings to DEM Law Enforcement at (401) 222-3070. La Crosse said the goal of the DEM is to educate the public about bear behavior and reduce the potential for conflicts between bears and humans.
For more information on “How to coexist responsibly with bears,” visit bearwise.org and DEM’s “Living with Black Bears” community resources.
The bear’s arrival caused a stir last Thursday night at the Stewart Avenue home Domenikoski shares with his partner, Louis Alfaia, and Louis’ mother, Maria Alfaia. Domenikoski said their Dalmatian, Lucy, was “very excited” and apparently thinking, “What’s going on? It’s supposed to be my bedtime.”
Who knows if the bear will return, but Domenikoski hopes to avoid any face-to-face contact between the curious visitor and Lucy.
“We’re definitely going to be careful with her,” he said.
#black #bear #population #increasing
Image Source : www.providencejournal.com