EAST GREENWICH, R.I. -- No additional sightings have been reported of a black bear that had been roaming for three days through Cranston and was said Wednesday night to have traipsed nine miles south to the North Kingstown/East Greenwich area, environmental and local police said Thursday morning.
A motorist reported having spotted the bear, estimated to weigh 200 pounds, around Route 4 and Route 403; the bear was later seen in the Route 4 and Frenchtown Road area, about two miles north of Quonset Point, a commercial area that is also home to a National Guard's air base, and two miles south of Warwick's Goddard Park. It's unclear if the sightings were reported by the same motorist.
Black bears, which range in weight from 100 to 600 pounds, prefer to feed in the cool of the morning and evening, remaining dormant during the daytime.
The public is asked to keep away from the bear and not feed it. Any sightings should be reported to the state Department of Environmental Management at (401) 222-3070. Officials also ask the public to share photographs or video recordings of the bear to help monitor its health.