Whither the Bear?

In Lance Wheeler's video, Chief Ed Moore said that the bear, first sighted foraging at a bird feeder on Hudson Avenue, left the city on Tuesday night heading east. Today, Gossips heard from a reader in Claverack that a bear--could it be the same bear?--ravaged the bird feeders in his yard at about 2 o'clock this morning. He sent this picture of the destruction the bear left behind.

If you have bird feeders in your yard, now is the time to take them in. When bears emerge from their dens in early spring, natural foods are lacking, and bird seed is abundant and easily obtained. According to the Department of Environmental Conservation, bird feeders are involved in more than 80 percent of the bear problems around homes. The DEC recommends that bird feeding only take place in the winter months, December through March. Birds don't need supplemental feeding in the warmer months, and bird feeders lure bears into places where they shouldn't be.
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