Image courtesy of Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management
The bear was seen wandering through a Cranston parking lot early Monday morning.
CRANSTON, R.I. -- A black bear spotted in Cranston's busy Auburn neighborhood appears to be heading west -- a welcome relief to officers, who spent the night tracking its moves, said Lt. Ed Cabral of the state Department of Environmental Management.
The bear, estimated to weight 200 pounds, was last seen early Wednesday morning in the Meshanticut Valley area, Cabral said. "Where he'll be today, who knows?"
The authorities grew concerned when the bear was seen in Auburn, a densely populated neighborhood in east, central Cranston.
A tube trap -- baited with the "greasiest doughnuts" officers could get at the local Dunkin' Donuts -- was set as a precaution, Cabral said.
But the bear quietly made its way through several backyards on Park and Elmwood avenues, eventually connecting with the Pocasset River.
As of the last sighting, Cabral said, "He seemed to be on the right track down the river bed, heading west."
Given the neighborhoods it crossed, Cabral said, officers expected to be flooded with calls. Only half a dozen or so calls came into the DEM overnight, he said.
No damage has been reported.
Officials ask any sightings are reported to the DEM at (401) 222-3070. Officials also ask the public to share any photos or videos to monitor the bear's health.
Read WPRI's coverage.
-- The original version of this story, a WPRI report, was published at 7:09 a.m.