Syracuse, NY – The black bear spotted Thursday in Syracuse’s Valley section may be making its way south out of town. State Department of Environmental Conservation police received a call Thursday night indicating the bear might have been seen on the Onondaga Nation, south of the Valley and the suburb of Nedrow, DEC Police Officer Rick Head said this afternoon....
Syracuse, NY – The black bear spotted Thursday in Syracuse’s Valley section may be making its way south out of town.
State Department of Environmental Conservation police received a call Thursday night indicating the bear might have been seen on the Onondaga Nation, south of the Valley and the suburb of Nedrow, DEC Police Officer Rick Head said this afternoon.
“Hopefully it’s still heading south, away from the city,” Head said. “If that’s the case we will let it do its thing, keep going and find a habitat away from people.”
The bear is estimated from witness reports to be about 150 pounds. Head said it may be a young male because they are most given to wander.
No calls had been received about the bear today, said Brett Armstrong, another DEC Police officer.
Black bears are not prone to attack humans and typically don’t want anything to do with people, other than to get at our food, Head said.
The best advice for people who encounter a black bear is to leave it alone, Armstrong said, To reduce the chance of attracting one, he said, remove food sources such as bird feeders, garbage, grills and anything else a bear could construe as dinner from your yard.
People who spot the bruin can call 911 or the DEC at 877-457-5680, Head said.