NORTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. (WPRI) — A nearly 250-pound black bear was hit and killed by a car on Route 4 in North Kingstown late last month, according to the R.I. Department of Environmental Management (DEM).

DEM officers were called to Route 4 on May 25 upon receiving reports of a dead bear on the highway.

The bear's body was removed from the highway and brought to a DEM facility to be examined.

The DEM said that, although there are only a handful of resident black bears living in Rhode Island, the population has increased over time.

This happened nearly a month after another black bear was hit and killed by a car on I-95 in West Greenwich.

The DEM said black bear sightings are not a cause for concern, since they're shy by nature and unlikely to hurt humans.