Video: Bear Wanders Into Lower Hudson Valley Apartment Complex
Police say the bear "has clearly lost his 'bearings' adding there has been an "unbearlievable" number of sightings recently.
The Clarkstown Police Department shared a video, which can be seen below, of a bear wandering in the parking lot of Normandy Village in Nanuet.
"This 'little' guy has clearly lost his '' as he is seen here wandering in the parking lot of Normandy Village. We have had an '' number of sightings this year, partly do to their limited food source. Below are some tips to avoid attracting bears to your yard and also how to act if you come into contact with one," the Clarkstown Police Department wrote on Facebook while sharing video of the bear.
The DEC offers the following tips for Hudson Valley residents to avoid conflicts with bears near homes:
- Remove all bird feeders;
- Keep garbage, grills, pet food, and bird seed inside a solid, secure structure such as a house, shed, or garage;
- If grills cannot be secured, clean grills, move them 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.
If you encounter a bear:
- Don't panic. Most bears are as afraid of people as people are of bears;
- Never approach, surround, or corner a bear;
- Back away slowly-do not run;
- Do not throw backpacks or food at bears. If bears are rewarded with food, they will continue to seek food from people; and
- If feeling threatened by a bear, raise your arms over your head to look bigger and yell loudly at the bear while slowly backing away.
When to report a nuisance bear:
- When a nuisance bear presents an immediate danger to public safety, call 911;
- If a bear is damaging property or is reluctant to leave the area, but the situation is not an emergency, call the regional wildlife office during business hours, or call the DEC Law Enforcement Dispatch Center at 1-844-DEC-ECOs (1-844-332-3267); and
- If bear cubs are known to be orphaned in the spring or summer (before July), call DEC. After that time, cubs generally survive on their own.