RUTLAND, Mass. -- State biologists conducting their annual mid-winter "bear census" made a happy discovery in the woods here this morning: One of 13 bears they've tagged with radio collars has given birth to three healthy cubs.I mean, really. Would there be anything cooler than looking out into the back yard and seeing a mother bear and some cubs ambling around looking for something to eat? I think not!
After anesthetizing the mother bear with a drug-filled dart at the end of a 10-foot-pole, researchers from the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife carefully picked up the estimated month-old cubs to check their gender and weight. The cubs, two males and one female, all clocked in within a few ounces of 5 pounds....
...officials with the wildlife department and the University of Massachusetts Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit estimate there are anywhere from 3,000 to 3,500 across the state, almost all of them living in Worcester County and Western Massachusetts...
I know we've got a few bears in Sterling, but sadly they all seem to be spotted on the west side of town. Our neighbor across the street claims that he has seen evidence of bears on his property, but I'm skeptical.
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