‘Aggressive’ Black Bear Shot & Killed in Massachusetts

Officials believe the bear was no longer scared of humans due to being fed in the past.

A bear story in New England is nothing new. Due in part to suburban sprawl, bears routinely show up in New Hampshire, Maine, and Massachusetts neighborhoods. Heck, we cover them on a near-monthly basis.

Bears have become part of our culture, possibly a little too much. Local residents have apparently been feeding the hungry animals, and that's not a good idea. The bear will become less afraid of humans. Great for the movies, bad for real life.

According to WCVB ABC 5, a 2-year-old, 225-pound male bear was shot late last week at a Fitchburg, MA park after harassing three men playing disc golf. It's believed this was the same bear who chased a woman in the same area earlier this month. In the most recent incident, an environmental officer was called to the scene, where the bear "challenged" the officer, the news station reported, and the bear was fatally shot.

Per WCVB ABC 5, the bear had been the subject of many calls, as he was no longer scared of humans, likely because it had been fed by people in the past.