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Black Bear Spotted In North Grafton, Westboro

NORTH GRAFTON (CBS) - For the past two weeks or so, bear sightings that began in Weston have been moving steadily west, with the latest in North Grafton.

"His head came about this high compared to this bird feeder, so he was four and a half to five feet tall at the top of the head," said Craig Caton, a North Grafton homeowner.

Caton grew up in the hills of Maine and never saw a bear up close, but on Friday afternoon at his North Grafton home, he spotted a young male black bear in his yard ravaging the bird feeder.

WBZ-TV's Jim Smith reports.

"He slowly walked out, sniffed at the bird feeder," said Caton. "He was hungry and the way he was looking around, as soon as he heard a noise, he hightailed it. His mother taught him right: grab a quick snack and run when you get caught."

Barbara Caton was fixing dinner in the kitchen and was the first one to spot the bear.

"I said 'Craig, Craig! You've got to come to the window.' And he came and there he was, just doing his little thing," said Barbara Caton.

Bear sightings have kept authorities in this part of the state very busy so far this spring. But, it's hard to tell how many bears have been spotted, because a single bear can have a range of more than 100 miles.

A WBZ-TV employee spotted a bear Saturday in Westboro. It could be the same bear, as North Grafton is just a town over.

Wildlife experts said food isn't the only reason we're seeing more bears lately. We're also just entering the black bear population's mating season.

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