Black Bears On Eating Marathon In New York State
Officials with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation are warning residents of active black bears across the state.
Right now Black bears are in the middle of Hyperphagia, where they will spend up to 20 hours a day looking for food.
READ MORE: BLACK BEARS SPOTTED NEAR HOMES IN NEW YORK
Black bears are getting ready to hibernate and in order to sleep for many months at a time they need to stock up on food.
During hyperphagia, Black bears will spend most of their time looking for food. That means they will be out and about more often. They could also take riskier chances to get that food meaning that they could move into areas where there are humans.
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Officials with the NYDEC say there are some things you should do and not do if you encounter a black bear.
Here are three things you should do:
#1 - Bears don't want to be around humans, so if you see a bear make noise so the bear knows that you are close and most likely flee the area.
#2 - Stay calm and walk slowly. Use a loud and calm voice to announce your presence to the bear.
#3 - Leave the area as soon as possible. Make sure to backup while walking and when you are in a safe spot, let local law enforcement know where you spotted the bear.
READ MORE: BLACK BEAR SPOTTED WANDERING AROUND THIS NEW YORK TOWN
Here are three things you should not do:
#1 - Don't approach the bear. Bears can get startled and if you approach it they could end up charging at you.
#2 - Don't run. If you run the bear could end up chasing you and attacking you.
#3 - Do not throw food, your backyard, or anything at the bear. This could be considered an act of aggression by the bear and they could attack you.
Bears should be heading to their dens by the end of the month so just make sure you are extra careful if you are out and about.
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