Motorists got a big surprise the other day while driving around the Hudson Valley. It seems like over the past few years more and more bears have been popping up in the Hudson Valley. Every other day on Facebook a new picture of one gets posted and it looks like the bears don't mind sharing common space with us.

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What animal was spotted in Dutchess County?

One resident recently posted some pictures online and it received a lot of buzz in a local Facebook group. In the picture you can see a black bear is very close to the road and it doesn't seem to be too startled. I can only imagine everyone's reaction as they drove by and saw the bear.

Where specifically was the animal spotted?

According to the resident, the bear was spotted on Lime Kiln Road in Hopewell Junction, NY. That's a very popular area, I'm sure many people saw the bear while they going to their destination.

More bear information:

The good thing is...this is just a picture. However, some people try to go close to bears when they see them and that is NEVER a good idea. It's always good to go over some simple bear safety tips that could help us all. According to the DEC:

• Clean up garbage and do not litter
• Do not feed pets outside
• Do not place food outside to try and feed wildlife

I always have to say this...if you see a bear do NOT harm it. We're all just trying to survive here and there's always one person who takes things too literally. Just be cautious and send us anymore cool pictures you might have of wildlife in the Hudson Valley on the station app.

Here are some cool parks in the area and free libraries: