Bear seen with apparent injury wanders through Coventry yard

A second bear sighting in Coventry concerned some local residents as the animal appeared to have injured its paw.

In a video shared on Facebook, the bear was seen wandering around a backyard in Wood Estates on Sunday afternoon. Leslie Sormanti-Folco, a resident who captured the video, said the bear appeared to have an injured paw and that this was one of many bear sightings in the area.

"People are still leaving their bird feeders out so this is attracting" the bears, she added.

Another bear sighting was captured in Harkney Hill Road over a week ago, about 2 miles from Wood Estates. That bear, too, appeared to be walking with a limp. It is unclear if both bears are the same.

" Black bear sightings are increasing in Rhode Island but typically decline in winter," Evan LaCross, a spokesperson for the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management told the Journal in an email. "While only a handful of resident bears currently live in RI, populations in surrounding states are growing and younger bears may disperse into RI looking for a territory to call their own."

Do black bears hibernate?

Black bears are not true hibernators, according to the RIDEM . Their body temperatures and respiration do not decrease as much as other hibernators like woodchucks, bats or squirrels.

During their winter dormancy period, they do not eat, drink or defecate and can sleep for as long as 200 days, according to Bearwise . In a sense, this makes researchers call them " super hibernators ."

During the fall, black bears enter hyperphasia , a period when they eat over 20,000 calories a day to prepare for their winter rest. This means they often wander into residential areas, and their sharp sense of smell helps them find food in bird feeders, trash, beehives or chicken coops in backyards.

What to do if you spot a black bear in Rhode Island?

"Simply seeing a bear doesn't mean it's a problem," LaCross said. "When a bear is observed, people should stay inside, avoid approaching it, and remove outdoor food sources such as bird feeders, pet food, and dirty grills."

According to RIDEM , black bears are usually shy and will avoid interactions with humans, unless they find food sources in the open. Because of this, it is important to ensure bird feeders, chicken coops and trash are cleared out from backyards to avoid luring bears.

If you do spot a bear, RIDEM has the following guidelines in place:

Be calm, back away slowly and make loud noises or appear to be big to scare it away.

Do not attempt to approach a bear, climb a tree, or turn and run.

It is illegal to intentionally feed or shoot bears in Rhode Island. If you spot one, you can report it to RIDEM Division of Fish and Wildlife at (401) 789-0281.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Bear seen with apparent injury wanders through Coventry yard