Black bear sighting in Waltham neighborhood

Household camera footage captured sight of a black bear visiting a Waltham resident’s porch last week. 

The footage, from March 17 and posted by Wes O’Connor on Facebook, shows the bear making its way onto the porch of a Goldencrest Avenue house and poking around items atop an outdoor table.

The bear was likely looking for a free meal, said Dave Wattles, a black bear and furbearer biologist with the state Divisions of Fisheries and Wildlife.

“Bears have learned very quickly that there’s food sources in backyards,” said Wattles, noting that food sources such as garbage and bird feeders make an easier meal for a bear than trying to find something to eat in the woods, especially during winter months.

Black bears are not naturally aggressive and are able to safely coexist with people. However, while no one has been injured in Massachusetts by a black bear in recent history, Wattles advises residents to give bears space. He also advises making noise so that the bear isn’t surprised when it encounters a human. 

Wattles said residents should take down bird feeders and properly secure trash so as not to draw bears to their yards. Those who keep backyard livestock such as chickens should install an electric fence to keep bears out. “You can’t build a chicken coop that a bear can’t break into,” Wattles said.

Wattles noted that the footage from Waltham hasn’t been authenticated, noting that MassWildlife has received no other reports of black bears in the Greater Boston area. The owners of the footage could not be reached for comment.