Are there more bears in Hudson Valley during the fall? What to do if you see one

A bear was spotted in Fancher-Davidge Park on Sep. 22, according to an evening alert by the City of Middletown that instructed the residents to avoid the area, saying the police department was monitoring the situation. The following morning, a second alert cleared the park as available for use after the bear was reported to have gone back to the woods.

Two days prior, a bear was found dead on Sep. 20 and later mutilated on a roadside in Highland Mills, which is currently being investigated by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation ’s Division of Law Enforcement.

Bears and other animals are particularly vulnerable to crashes with vehicles in the month of October due to shortening days and darker driving conditions. They are out, power eating, foraging for food up