Biologists and ECOs have recently been receiving reports of bears roaming neighborhoods in search of food and territory. DEC Commissioner Seggos said, “We are encouraging New Yorkers to help reduce the potential for negative interactions with bears by removing the things bears find attractive like pet food and trash.”
The Northern Catskills is prime habitat for black bears. In fact, the entire area surrounding the Catskill Mountains maintains a robust, healthy black bear population. That inevitably leads to human-bear conflicts, especially in summer which is a very active time for black bears.
“…Young bears disperse from family groups, breeding bears search for mates, and all bears forage for food to gain the fat needed for winter. With this increased activity comes a greater potential for human-bear conflicts, when bears find food near people.”
DEC recently set out a few guidelines that have proven to be effective in reducing human/bear…