Young black bear swims from New Hampshire to Maine, and a harbormaster catches it on camera

Onlookers were delighted after a black bear was spotted swimming across the Piscataqua River from New Hampshire into southern Maine.

What happened?

WGME reported that the animal was spotted Saturday as it left New Castle, New Hampshire, and headed toward Kittery, Maine.

After receiving a call, Kittery Harbormaster John Brosnihan went out by boat and found "the bear's little head sticking out of the water, and he was swimming toward Fort McClary," per WGME, which shared images and footage of the incident. 

Brosnihan told the outlet that he turned on his lights and shadowed the animal to alert nearby boats, saying: "He just kept swimming, so I turned on my emergency lights and just kind of kept boats away and followed him in, and we got to the shoreline."

After taking a short break on the rocks, the bear was seen climbing onto a lawn. About 45 minutes later, the bear cleared a nearby fence, crossed the street, and disappeared into the woods.

Just one day earlier, Ashley Varney, who recorded the video of the swimming bear, had also videotaped what may have been the same bear by a jetty near Rye, New Hampshire.

"I pulled my phone out quick to capture what felt like a once-in-a-lifetime moment," Varney said to WGME. "To say it was a memorable boat day is an understatement."

Why does it matter?

This is the time of year when black bears that are about 18 months old often separate from their mothers, according to Dan Bailey, the bear project leader with New Hampshire Fish and Game.

"What I think happened is this bear dispersed, left its mother, and took a wrong turn and ended up on the seacoast," Bailey said.

Bailey added that human food can make these encounters more likely to become a problem. Bird feeders, unsecured garbage, and backyard poultry can all draw bears closer to homes.

A wild sighting can quickly change if animals begin associating neighborhoods with food. Officials say that people should use caution and give bears plenty of space.

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