WELLS — A Maine black bear was killed when it was struck by a vehicle in Wells on Saturday evening.

According to Wells Police, a male bear weighing 250 pounds was crossing Sanford Road in the area of Highpine Loop Road when it was hit.

Police say no one in the vehicle was hurt, but the bear was killed instantly upon impact with the automobile.

“This is a good reminder to bring in your bird feeders and secure your trash,” Wells Police said in a Facebook post about the incident. “The bears are out and about right now and they are looking for food.”

Wildlife conservationists say that Maine black bears feed on a wide range of vegetation and animal matter in the state

Although some bears eat meat, their diet is mostly vegetarian in nature, including early greening grasses, clover, and the buds of hardwood trees in the spring, fruits and berries in summer, and beechnuts, acorns, and hazelnuts in the fall. Their diet also can feature insects, ants, bees, and occasional mammals and birds. 

Conservationists do not consider bears to be efficient predators, but they have been known to prey on young deer and moose in late spring months.

Possessing intelligence, bears adapt rapidly to new food sources, including agricultural crops and food placed to attract other wildlife, such as bird feeders and unsecured garbage.

Black bears typically breed from May through August in Maine, with most breeding activity peaking in June and July. 

Throughout the summer, male black bears travel over large areas to enhance their chances for encountering mates and they reach full adult size at about the age of 4- to 6-years-old.