ALBANY – State DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos, Monday, urged people to reduce the potential for conflicts with bears by keeping things that might attract them out of the way. That would include garbage, birdseed and pet food.
“We have recently begun to see a rise in reported sightings of black bears in suburban and urban areas,” he said. “While seeing a bear is an exciting experience for many New Yorkers, bears that are inadvertently fed by humans exhibit unnatural behaviors and can become a nuisance.”
In June, black bear movement increases as the breeding season begins and yearling (one-year-old) bears disperse to find their own space. Inevitably some of these bears, particularly yearlings, wander through places these animals would not normally inhabit, like suburban or urban neighborhoods.
Bears have an acute sense of smell and may attempt to consume anything they perceive as edible, including improperly stored garbage, birdseed, livestock, pet food, and barbecue grill grease traps. Once a bear has discovered a food source, it may return or seek similar foods at neighboring properties, learning bad behavior that can damage human property and may lead to the death of the bear.
If a bear is seen in an unexpected location, residents should simply be aware of the bear’s presence and observe the bear without attempting to interact with it. If left alone and given the opportunity, nearly all bears that wander into urban and suburban areas will leave as quickly and quietly as they appear, without serious conflict or need for physical removal.
Do not feed bears intentionally. Feeding bears intentionally is illegal and a ticketable offense. Bears that obtain food from humans will continue to seek food from humans and become nuisance bears, which can pose a threat to humans.
NEWS STORY PROVIDED BY: Mid Hudson News -www.midhudsonnews.com