A black bear has become a celebrity in Massachusetts, where people track its every move along the South Coast in an effort to catch a glimpse of the star.
The young bear, who is about two years old, has captivated the locals with his inquisitive nature and is affectionately referred to as Buster.
He has roamed from town to town, rummaging through backyards and treating himself to seed mixes from bird feeders.
But his visit to Plymouth on Saturday drew fanfare with residents gathering to report sightings and track his movements.
And social media is awash with memes of the bear enjoying the city’s top sights, with locals saying, “Buster gets everywhere.”
A black bear has become a celebrity in Massachusetts, where people track its movements along the South Coast in an attempt to catch a glimpse of the star
But Buster’s visit to Plymouth on Saturday drew fanfare with residents gathering to report sightings and track his movements
Social media is flooded with memes of Buster enjoying the city’s major sights
The first sighting of the 80-100lb black bear was reported shortly before noon near a primary school on Bourne Road.
Plymouth Police quickly released an alert saying “Buster the Bear is here” and shared recommendations on what to do.
It told locals not to invite Buster to their Memorial Day picnics and not to try to cuddle with the bear and remove outside food sources.
Social media users were quick to track the bear’s every move, and he was seen casually strolling through someone’s backyard around 10:30 a.m.
He was then seen lurking on the grass outside a CrossFit at 2 p.m. before being sighted in the woods at a Home Depot.
His whereabouts have been closely monitored on a Facebook page titled ‘Where’s NE Black Bear’ and people continue to report the latest sightings.
Kristen Sass, 36, looked out her window after learning Buster had arrived in town and saw the bear behind her house.
She called her children to watch and they watched as he navigated the path to their yard and passed around the back of the house.
He tried to get into the bin, but failed and decided to move on after only five minutes.
It’s exciting, but holy moly. That’s a real bear,” Sass told the Boston sphere.
“It felt unreal. I never thought we’d see one at home. … I don’t really see him as a problem. I just hope everyone gives him their space.’
And Ken Scott, 64, who lives with his wife in a cottage surrounded by woods, was at a Memorial Day barbecue that was attacked by Buster.
He was in the middle of a discussion about the bear when he heard his friend, who had gone out to flip steaks, yell, “The bear is here!” The bear is here!’
Scott thought he was joking until he looked over the porch and saw Buster walking towards his house.
The couple had a family friend in the house who didn’t know the bear was around, so he jumped in the car with his wife to go warn her.
“Then Melissa and I both started filming, and the little guy just walked right up to us,” Scott said.
The young bear, who is about two years old, has captivated the locals with his curious nature
He’s roamed from town to town, rummaging through backyards and treating himself to seed mixes from bird feeders
Mock-up photos of Buster sightseeing in Plymouth were very popular among the community
“He came within 10 feet of the porch. He just sauntered over there, like he wasn’t worried about anything.’
He added that seeing “everyone’s little pet” so close was a “once-in-a-lifetime meeting you only dream about.’
Mock-up photos of Buster the bear sightseeing in Plymouth were very popular among the community.
The images showed him visiting Plymouth Rock, sitting on the Mayflower ship that brought the pilgrims to the city in 1620, welcoming visitors as he relaxed on a giant chair and jumped off a trolley at the water’s edge.
Professional standards captain Jason Higgins with the Plymouth Police Department has never heard of any reports of a bear sighting in his 26-year career.
But he said environmental police had briefed officers on such a scenario several months ago.
“I think it’s something new,” he said. “And the bear sure looks cute and cuddly.”
Buster is said to be solely responsible for dozens of bear sightings since May 14.
Dave Wattles, black bear and furbearer biologist for MassWildlife, said: ‘We still think it’s the only one. That one undoubtedly explains the trail of sightings that most have followed.’
Bear sightings are tracked along the south coast by WBSM, a New Bedford radio station.
And Buster may have left Plymouth, because on Tuesday there was a sighting of a bear investigating a chicken coop 20 miles away in Lakeville.
Officials are not sharing its exact location to prevent people from chasing the animal, as it forced the bear into more urban and populated areas.
Buster is seen sitting on the Mayflower ship that brought the Pilgrims to the city in 1620
An image of the bear visiting Plymouth Rock has made residents laugh
Black bears sometimes venture into eastern Massachusetts, but this is the first time one has been in Plymouth
Black bears are not known to be aggressive towards humans, but dangerous situations can arise if humans get too close.
Wattles said, “If that animal feels threatened, it may react defensively. We hope that doesn’t happen.’
Black bears sometimes venture into eastern Massachusetts, but this is the first time one has made it to Plymouth.
Although, according to Wattles, this could become increasingly common as the state’s bear population continues to grow.
Worcester County’s bear population is a problem with rising numbers of females, leading to more bears, mostly males, moving up to 100 miles away after leaving their mothers between 16 and 17 months old.
Officials plan to let Buster explore and will only take action if he ventures into a “very, very highly developed location.”