MIDDLETON, MASS. (WHDH) - Local officers and Massachusetts Environmental Police spent hours tracking down a bear in Middleton, where a resident spotted the animal snooping around houses.

Video submitted to 7NEWS showed the bear making its way through at least one neighborhood Wednesday afternoon.

In a Facebook post, Middleton’s police department said officials were called to the area of Kenny Road and Shipley Court to track the bear down.

For several hours, Environmental and Middleton Police followed reports of the animal, monitoring its whereabouts while asking residents to keep children and pets indoors as they worked.

One neighbor said she came face-to-face with the animal when it attempted to look through her windows.

“I just happened to look out the window and I saw a bear, walking across the street,” said Jean Anderson. “And then he went up the left-hand side of the house, and then he went around the back part of the house, and he looked in all my windows – and I’m looking right at him!”

At 4:45 p.m., police said the bear was seen moving off into a deep wooded area, prompting officials to stand down.

Officials told 7NEWS their response plan did not call for harming the bear, but to guide it to a safer, less populated place.

(Copyright (c) 2024 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

Join our Newsletter for the latest news right to your inbox