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Bear sightings spook residents of Westford neighborhood

WESTFORD, Mass. — A neighborhood on alert after a backyard camera caught a black bear wandering in the area.

Joy Calla said the bear was spotted at 4:45 a.m. Wednesday, heading for a meal of bird seed.

Neighbors said they’ve seen the bear several times recently.

“It was on the back deck, he pulled a quarter inch round steel post over, ate all the food,” Kenny Enrico said. “It’s been a week or two and he was back again last night.”

Enrico and his wife Laura said the bear has left plenty of claw marks on the back deck, just feet away from where she makes coffee every morning.

“He didn’t just bend everything this time he just took everything away, gone. The pole, everything, gone,” Laura said about their bird feeder.

Now this uninvited guest may have to find a new breakfast spot since the families are doing away with the bird seed.

“When she sent me the text this morning I said ok, well stop feeding him so the birds are going to go without until, hopefully until the snow flies, then he’ll go into hibernation and we won’t have to deal with him,” Kenny said.

The bear isn’t the only visitor in the area. A few weeks ago Calla’s camera also caught a bobcat in her back yard.

Wildlife experts say if you do see a bear you shouldn’t run; try to make yourself as large looking as possible and make a lot of noise. It’s also a good idea to turn on exterior lights if you need to go outside to grab a newspaper before dawn.