Homeowners in the Hudson Valley got a major scare when a black bear was seen just a few feet from their front door.

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The animal was recorded strolling past a New Paltz home from the home's doorcam camera. In the video, which you can see below, the Ring Home Security Systems' camera captures the bear casually walking past the home.

The video was recorded on Jan. 12, in New Paltz, according to the Neighbors app.

Hudson Valley Post has reported on a number of bear sightings last summer. One ran through the backyard of a Hudson Valley home while a woman was grilling dinner; multiple bears were spotted in a Dutchess County woman's backyard; another bear was filmed running across yards in Beacon; while another was spotted near a playground in Ulster County; and a cub forced roads to be closed during rush hour in Poughkeepsie.

When bears have access to human foods, it encourages behaviors that can put bears at risk. While bears can be intimidating, they generally try to avoid getting into conflicts with people, officials say.

The DEC released the following steps to avoid conflicts with bears:

Around Dwellings

    • Remove all bird feeders;
    • Keep garbage, grills, pet food, and bird seed inside a solid, secure structure (house, shed, garage, etc.);
    • If grills cannot be secured, move grills away from houses and remove grease traps after each use;
    • Put garbage on the curb the morning of collection, not the night before, and use bear-resistant trash containers; and
    • Close garage doors and ground-floor windows/doors at night.

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