A bear was spotted in Fancher-Davidge Park on Sep. 22, according to an evening alert by the City of Middletown that instructed the residents to avoid the area, saying the police department was monitoring the situation. The following morning, a second alert cleared the park as available for use after the bear was reported to have gone back to the woods.
Two days prior, a bear was found dead on Sep. 20 and later mutilated on a roadside in Highland Mills, which is currently being investigated by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s Division of Law Enforcement.
Bears and other animals are particularly vulnerable to crashes with vehicles in the month of October due to shortening days and darker driving conditions. They are out, power eating, foraging for food up to 20 hours a day, according to the DEC. In preparation for winter hibernation, bears engage in this peak activity, termed hyperphagia, to stock up their fat reserves in late summer and into the fall. Active during dawn and dusk, they cross roads frequently.
“The hunt for food starts in late summer as berries and fruits ripen, and shifts into high gear when calorie-packed nuts are available,” the DEC said in an email statement.
What do experts say about bears?
Bear sightings are not uncommon in Orange County. Lynn Rogers, a biologist who has studied bears for 58 years, and the DEC offer recommendations on how to behave when you meet a bear.
“For over 40 years, I’ve been doing close-up research with the bears, and I don’t have problems,” said Rogers.
Rogers, 86, is the founder of the North American Bear Center and the Wildlife Research Institute. He said it is hard for him to think of bears as dangerous because only one out of a million black bears kills anyone.
New York has around 8,000 black bears currently, per DEC estimates. Male black bears weigh about 300 pounds and females around 170 pounds. They eat “grasses, berries, fruit, nuts, seeds, insects, grubs, and carrion, as well as human sources of food like corn, honey, bird seed, trash, and pet food when available,” according to the DEC.
How to secure your home and keep the bears safe and wild
To keep yourself and your dwelling safe in case of a bear visit, and prevent human-bear conflict, the DEC recommends:
What should you do when you meet a black bear?
Consider the following scenarios and DEC recommendations when you encounter a bear up close.
Rogers conducted close research in 24-hour cycles with bears. “The only time I’ve been hit or slapped,” he said, “is when I initiated the contact with a bear that wasn’t used to that yet.”
A barking dog may also prompt a bear to follow and chase, Rogers said, and endanger the human after the dog hides from them.
Rogers said the “never get between a mother and her cubs” idea relates to grizzly bears.
When should you report a bear?
DEC recommends every opportunity should be considered to allow a bear to escape to safety through all available routes. Call 911 if there is an emergency or risk to public safety.
If a bear does not want to leave an area or causes damage to property, call the local wildlife office dec.ny.gov during business hours or its Law Enforcement Dispatch Center at 1-844-DEC-ECOS (1-844-332-3267).
This article originally appeared on Times Herald-Record: Bear sightings not uncommon in Hudson Valley. What to do if you see one
Reporting by Vandana Saras, Middletown Times Herald- Record / Times Herald-Record
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