BEAR ALERT: Three Black Bears Spotted in Various Locations in Exeter, New Hampshire

If you live on the New Hampshire Seacoast, you might want to hold off on making porridge.

Residents in Exeter have spotted three bears making their way through backyards and other residential areas over the past week. Over on the Facebook group Exeter, NH Community Forum, several users shared their encounters.

One resident shared a video of the mama black bear and her two cubs climbing down a tree on Eno Drive. Many of the sightings have been reported along Jolly Rand Trail.

Other residents shared doorbell camera clips taken at night off of Pickpocket Road and Michael Avenue. And one user shared an up-close shot of the mama bear staring through his sliding door in broad daylight on Greenleaf Drive.

Another group member shared a photo taken during the daytime of the bear on her deck on Brentwood Road.

The Exeter Police Department is aware of the reports, but was also well-prepared. In April, they posted a message about bear safety on their official Facebook page:

“Please remove your winter feeders” is the last thing they want to hear, but it’s sage advice from our friends over at New Hampshire Fish and Game. They advise that bird feeders should be removed by April 1 each year to avoid attracting bears and creating the potential for bear/human conflicts.”

More bad news for that owl in Merrimack...and worse news for the parrot it keeps trying to attack.

The Seacoast sightings come just a year after North Shore Massachusetts were startled by a black bear (which was released after its capture). Maybe we can escort them down to Connecticut so they can live underneath this family’s front porch?

Just after the bear sightings, residents in Exeter also reported bobcats in the area. And to think: this is all happening during Squirrel Week.