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| DEC Issues Guidance to Homeowners to Avoid Problems with Bears 04/06/18 03:00pm |
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DEC Issues Guidance to Homeowners to Avoid Problems with Bears As Spring Arrives, Black Bears Are on the Move The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) today issued guidance on how to prevent negative encounters with black bears. Nearly all negative bear encounters in New York are the result of hungry bears being attracted to human food sources. The simplest way to avoid a nuisance encounter is to remove potential food sources, which usually results in the bear moving on. New York's black bears emerge from the winter denning period and need to replenish their nutrients and body fat. To do so, they may travel long distances to preferred habitats that vary from season to season. Bears must often cross roads or pass through developed areas to find these different habitat types, and they often find human food readily accessible if homeowners do not take necessary precautions. Not every bear that passes through a developed area is a problem bear, but readily available human food sources can quickly turn them into one. Bears can obtain all of the food they need from the forest but they are intelligent and opportunistic animals that will find and consume whatever food they can find most easily. Bird feeders, garbage cans, dumpsters, barbeque grills, unsecured out-buildings or vehicles containing food or waste all are potential attractants to bears. Once a bear learns to obtain food from people or certain structures, it is very difficult to change the animal's behavior. These bears are more vulnerable to motor vehicle collisions in populated areas, more likely to be illegally killed, or may become a threat to public safety. In some cases, DEC is asked to relocate these bears. However, bear relocations are rarely effective at solving the problem and can be dangerous. Relocated bears often return to their original capture site, or may simply continue their bad habits at a new location. Additionally, if the circumstances that led to the original problem are not corrected, other bears may be attracted to the site and the human/bear conflicts will persist. It is dangerous and illegal to intentionally feed bears. The incidental, indirect feeding of black bears, such as with bird feeders or garbage, is also unlawful after a written warning has been issued by DEC. Occasionally, a bear becomes so habituated to human environments and conditioned to human foods that its behavior creates a clear threat to public safety and property. It is in the best interest of both bears and people for bears to get their food solely from wild sources. To reduce the chance of negative black bear encounters around your home, DEC recommends these simple precautions:
It is important to appreciate and respect black bears as wild animals, from a distance. To learn more about New York's black bears, visit the DEC website or look for the DEC's DVD: 'Living with New York Black Bears' available at most local public libraries in New York. For more information about bears in your area or to report a problem with black bears, contact the nearest regional DEC office. For listings of Regional DEC Offices, visit DEC's website. |
