Bear in a backyard (WNG file photo).
WESTFIELD- Westfield’s Animal Control Officers (ACO) say that the removal of a deceased bear cub from Russell Road this week may have actually put motorists in danger.
Westfield Animal Shelter Director and ACO Lori Charrette said that they received a call about the deceased cub just before noon on Tuesday. Responding police officers moved it out of the roadway so that it wouldn’t impact traffic, but they intentionally left it at the scene on the side of the road. It is believed that the cub was struck by a vehicle.
“We are giving the mom time to realize what has happened so that she will not continue to cross the road to look for it,” said a post on the animal shelter’s Facebook page on Tuesday, “We will be removing the cub soon.”
Charrette said that when they went to pick up to the body on Wednesday at 9:30, it was not there. She added that they wanted to leave it there because there had been a similar situation on
Westfield’s West side where the mother bear was in the road looking for its cub.
Had somebody picked up the cub, Charrette said that they should have reported it to the city.
The mother bear was not reported to have been sighted. It is unknown if she was able to find her cub.
