Child Attacked By Bear in Lower Hudson Valley

While bear attacks are fairly uncommon, they can still happen. Police say a young boy was attacked the morning of Tuesday, August 22nd in his own yard by a bear. Police say they are investigating the incident, though they also told ABC this was the first recent bear attack they were aware of.

According to the National Park Service, bears are most active during the early morning and late evening hours in the spring and summertime. The New York DEC says that black bears are "well established" in many areas across New York state, such as the Hudson Valley.

Encounters between bears and humans only become more inevitable the further people develop and expand into the animals' territory.

The last fatal bear attack in New York state was August 19, 2002, when a 5-month-old girl was knocked from her stroller by a black bear, which was near the porch of her family's vacation home in Sullivan County

The bear then carried the infant in its mouth to the woods. The infant died of neck and head injuries.

Young Boy in Westchester County Attacked by Bear Cub

ABC says a 7-year-old boy was attacked by a bear cub late Tuesday morning in Bedford. Police say the attack happened on the property where the boy lived with his parents.

The North Castle Police Department said in a press release that officers received a call from a resident in Westchester County who reported that a bear had just attacked their child on their property.

See Also: Park Service Once Again Issues Warning Over Bears: Don't Do This!

Multiple agencies including animal control responded to the incident, as the child was treated by EMS and transported to the hospital for non-life-threatening injuries.

Police officers on scene said they observed the bear remaining in the yard, where the attack had occurred. Police go on to say that the bear continued to "present a danger to first responders and area residents," as the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation was notified. The bear was euthanized by officers on scene.

Officials say the DEC took possession of the bear, and transported it to the Westchester County Department of Health for testing.