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Haverhill

Search on for bear cub near Haverhill schools Sighting causes school lockdown to protect students

By Mike LaBella
Staff Writer
Published: March 27, 2008

HAVERHILL — Students playing in the fields behind Silver Hill Elementary School see plenty of birds, squirrels and other small wildlife — maybe even an occasional deer.

But a bear cub?

That's just what several children and their teacher said they saw during an outdoor physical education class late yesterday morning. The sighting caused a school lockdown to protect students as conservation and animal control officials searched the area for the bear. They failed to find it.

The Silver Hill section of Haverhill is an inner city area that has fields and woodlands and three schools — Silver Hill Elementary, Hill View Montessori Charter School and Consentino Middle School.

Jim Cardoza, a wildlife biologist with MassWildlife, said the bear was likely a "yearling," which means it was a year old.

"Mothers with 1-year-olds are coming out of their den now," Cardoza said. "It doesn't surprise me at this time of year, but it is unusual to have a report of a bear in this area at this time."

He said that anyone encountering the bear should not feed it or attract it in any way, and keep their distance.

"If you see it just enjoy the sighting," he said.

The physical education class from nearby Hill View Montessori Charter School was in the field about 11:30 a.m. Teacher Sue Logan said she heard some of her students shouting "Bear, bear." The area where they saw the bear is about 150 yards from their school and about the same distance from nearby Silver Hill School.

"I stepped into the woods and that's when I saw it," Logan said. "At first I thought it was a person, then I thought it was a dog. When it scampered away I realized it was a young bear. It was black and it had a brown nose."

Logan took her students back to their school and notified school officials, who then called police as well as neighboring Silver Hill Elementary and Consentino Middle schools. The area where the bear was seen is within about 200 yards of the three schools.

Silver Hill Principal Euthemia Gilman reacted quickly to the news by placing her school in lockdown for 15 minutes.

"We locked all of our entrance doors and closed all of our classroom doors," Gilman said. "We didn't want children going outside."

Gilman also notified the afternoon kindergarten school bus driver to contact her prior to arriving at the school.

"We just want to make sure all of our children are safe," Gilman said. "Bears are coming out of hibernation and are looking for food. This is not a good time to cross a bear. They are not cute and cuddly."

Consentino Principal James Scully said he was notified of the bear by police.

"We secured all of our doors and we told students not to leave the building until we got the all-clear from police," Scully said. "Some students reacted to the news with a cheer."

Several police officers along with Conservation Officer Mark Sheehan and Animal Control Officer Michelle Hamel scoured the 5 acres of wooded area near the schools looking for the bear. Sheehan said that if the bear is found, state conservation officials might tranquilize it and then transport it to another part of the state.

"We don't usually see bears in this area until May or June," Sheehan said. "This bear will eventually show up and someone will see it."

In response to the growing black bear population in Massachusetts that numbers around 3,000, MassWildlife and the Environmental Police formed an interagency large animal response team to handle situations where bears are discovered in areas heavily populated by people.

The team includes MassWildlife biologists and Environmental Police officers with specific training in chemical immobilization of large animals, primarily bears and moose.

Communities and other law enforcement agencies can activate this team by calling the 24-hour Environmental Police radio room at 1-800-632-8075 or calling the closest MassWildlife office during business hours.

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If you see a bear

r Do not feed them.

r Avoid contact — keep your distance and watch quietly.

r Do not leave pet food outside because it may attract them.

r Secure trash in closed containers in a garage or shed to keep bears away.

Questions can be directed to your nearest MassWildlife district office. Information is available online at www.mass.gov/masswildlife.

Source: MassWildlife

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Black bear facts

r Total population in Massachusetts — about 3,000.

r Don't go into true hibernation in winter. Instead, sleep soundly in their dens from November or December until early March to mid-April.

r Are omnivores that eat a variety of foods from vegetation and berries to grubs and insects.

r Excellent climbers, often using trees to rest and to protect their young.

r Born in mid- to late January. Cubs usually remain in the den until April, and stay with their mother for about 17 months.

r Females typically have their first litter when they are 3 or 4 years old.

Source: MassWildlife

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