Wildlife sightings up in New Hampshire as bears, bobcats seek food
BOW, N.H. —
Wildlife sightings are up in New Hampshire neighborhoods as bears and bobcats venture out of the woods in search of food.
New Hampshire Fish and Game officials said animals’ search for food can often lead them into people’s backyards.
Wildlife officials said they get an average of 650 calls each year related to bear conflicts, but last year, they only got about half that. This year, calls are on track to be closer to average.
Dan Bailey, bear project leader for the Fish and Game Department, said developed areas can be easy sources of food for bears and bobcats. They can be seen digging through trash or finding smaller mammals hanging around bird feeders.
He said people should keep their distance from wild animals, and if the animals are unwelcome, make loud noises to drive them away.
“Our highest density, our highest bear populations are in the central region of the state, the White Mountains, the north region,” Bailey said. “Those areas tend to coincide with where we’re seeing a lot of people recreating this time of year, a lot of people enjoying the lakes, enjoying the White Mountains, camping, hiking. There are more bears in that area, there are more people this time of year, so there’s a higher chance that they’re going to run into one.”
He said that if an animal is causing problems in a neighborhood, Fish and Game should be notified.