Dalton Resident Spots Collared Bear, Here’s What It Means

A Dalton resident spotted something in her yard today that a lot of us don't see very often, a black bear wearing a collar.

Melissa Mazzeo posted about it with the title "I've never seen a collar on a bear before," and honestly, I don't blame her for being surprised. I didn't know exactly what it meant, either. There's a good reason that bear had one on, and it ties back to decades of wildlife research happening right here in the Berkshires.

MassWildlife has been running one of the longest black bear studies in the country, going back more than 40 years. Biologists fit female bears, called sows, with radio tracking collars so they can learn how the population is surviving, reproducing, and raising cubs. Right now there are around 40 sows collared across the state, and a good chunk of that work happens right here in Berkshire County. -mass.gov

About half of those collars also have GPS units built in. That data doesn't just help biologists, it helps MassDOT figure out where bears are crossing roads so they can cut down on collisions between bears and cars.

So if the bear Melissa saw was wearing a collar, there's a strong chance it's a mother bear that's part of this long-term study, one that's been tracked for years, maybe even had cubs nearby.

It's a good reminder that the Berkshires aren't just home to a growing bear population, they're also home to some of the most important bear research being done anywhere in the region.