A mother bear in the bed of a pickup truck after she was tranquilized (Courtesy Photo: David Dore/Leominster Champion)
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LEOMINSTER — Environmental officials relocated a mother bear and her two cubs after they were seen at Evergreen Cemetery Thursday morning.
According to the Leominster Champion, after the bears were spotted at the cemetery, they made their way to a wooded area between Main and Mill streets, right behind the National Grid gas property.
At approximately 2:45 p.m., authorities from MassWildlife and the Environmental Police tranquilized the bears, wrapped their heads in white sheets and loaded them into the back of an official pickup truck. The mother bear’s ears were “tagged” for research purposes and she was fitted with a collar, also for research purposes.
The mother bear weighed approximately 180 pounds, her cubs weighed 40 and 60 pounds, respectively.
According to Nicole McSweeney, a spokesperson for MassWildlife, officials relocated the bears to “a wooded location nearby.” Their exact coordinates were not specified.
After relocating the bears, officials waited for the tranquilizer to wear off before their departure.
According to MassWildlife, Leominster is the eastern edge of the black bears’ territory. Black bear sighting in the Route 495 corridor have increased in recent years because their population has grown to over 4,500.
