Swansea police warn of black bear sighting near Marvel Street and Hemingway Drive
Two residents separately reported seeing the bear, police said, and Swansea Animal Control and the Massachusetts Environmental Police have been notified.
SWANSEA Swansea police warned residents Monday evening of a reported black bear sighting in the area of the 200 block of Marvel Street and Hemingway Drive, saying two residents had separately seen the bear a short time before the department posted the alert on its Facebook page at 5:52 p.m.
Swansea Animal Control and the Massachusetts Environmental Police have been notified, the department said. Police said black bears generally avoid people, but they asked residents in the area to stay alert, keep pets supervised and let the bear move through undisturbed.
What police ask if you see the bear
- Stay calm, and do not approach or try to feed the bear.
- Do not run; back away slowly while keeping the bear in sight.
- Give it space, and never corner it or block its way out.
- Keep children and pets close, with dogs leashed and under control.
- Let the bear leave on its own, and do not gather around it or try to scare it out of a tree.
If a bear is up a tree, police said, do not approach it or gather underneath, and give it room to climb down and move off on its own. People should not walk up to a bear to take photos or video, and should take extra care walking in or near wooded areas, the department said.
Around the house
Police asked residents to secure trash containers, remove outdoor food sources and bring bird feeders and pet food inside. If the bear poses an immediate threat to public safety, the department said, call 911.
MassWildlife, the state Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, advises people who find a bear in their yard to wait for it to leave and then remove or secure whatever food drew it. The agency says bird feeders should come down at the first sign of bear activity, trash cans should go to the curb the morning of pickup rather than the night before, and dogs should stay leashed outside, with the yard checked before a dog goes out, because the presence of a dog can make a bear aggressive.
Bears moving east
The state's black bear population is estimated at more than 4,500 and is growing and spreading east, according to MassWildlife. Young bears striking out on their own and wandering males often turn up east of Route 495, the agency says, and bears usually settle into dens between mid-November and early December, depending on food and snow.
Label: Reported by us, from the town's posted records.
Notes
The sighting and the safety steps come from the Swansea Police Department's Facebook post of Nov. 9, read in full that evening; the bear range and home tips come from MassWildlife's own page.
Corrections
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Sources (3)
- Swansea Police Department Facebook postSwansea Police Department, Nov. 9, 2026, 5:52 p.m. The sighting, the agencies notified and the safety steps. Read Nov. 9, 2026.
- MassWildlife: Learn about black bearsMassachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife. Population, range, denning and tips for residents. Read Nov. 9, 2026.
- Town of Swansea: Police DepartmentThe department's business line. Read Nov. 9, 2026.