Black Bear – 7/30/22

Observer: Emily Smith-Lee

Observation Date: 7/30/22

Observation Time: 3:00 pm

Observation Location: 33 Moose Hill Parkway

Common Name: American Black Bear

Scientific Name: Ursus Americanus

Comments: He came out of the woods behind our house (town owned conservation land between Moose Hill Parkway and Upland Road) and walked across our back yard before going back into the woods where our yard meets a little creek.

According to Wikipedia, “In the northeastern part of the range (the United States and Canada), prime habitat consists of a forest canopy of hardwoods such as beech, maple, birch and coniferous species. Corn crops and oak-hickory mast are also common sources of food in some sections of the Northeast; small, thick swampy areas provide excellent refuge cover largely in stands of white cedar.” Sharon’s 250-acre cedar swamp fits this description.

American black bears have better eyesight and hearing than humans. Their keenest sense is their sense of smell, which is about seven times more sensitive than a domestic dog’s.

American black bears tend to be territorial and non-gregarious in nature. Bear sightings in Sharon are extremely rare. This bear might have been passing through Sharon seeking a territory of its own.

More Information: Wikipedia