Dangerous Bear Takes Stroll in Hudson Valley Neighborhood

Hudson Valley residents were shocked when they noticed a wild bear walking near a number of homes.

On Monday, Skye Herring posted a video of a bear walking near homes in Beacon. Herring said the video was taken by her brother who spotted the bear on Washington Avenue near Rountree Court and the cemetery. The video, which can be seen below, has been watched over 52,000 times and shared by nearly 1,000.

It's unclear why the bear decided to take a stroll in Beacon, or where it came from, but maybe the bear somehow learned Main Street in Beacon was recently named one of the most beautiful Main Streets in America.

It's also unclear where the bear came from. Could it be possible the bear is one of seven bears recently released back into the wild in the Hudson Valley? That's unlikely, because the DEC announced Wednesday the rehabilitated bears were brought to undisclosed locations in Sullivan and Ulster counties.

Or could this bear be one of the bears found in the backyard of a Pine Plains home?

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation recently warned about bears coming out of hibernation in search of food.

"Due to poor natural food availability last fall, many black bears went into their dens with low fat reserves and as they begin to emerge from winter dens, have already begun seeking out food sources around homes," the DEC said in a press release.

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The DEC recommends Hudson Valley residents take down bird feeders, store garbage inside secure buildings and feed pets indoors.

Allowing bears to find food naturally keeps them out of trouble and reduces negative interactions with people and property, according to the DEC.