The sightings were reported in Cortlandt and Ossining on Thursday, Oct. 2, and Friday, Oct. 3, as well as in Mount Pleasant earlier in the week.
According to the Town of Cortlandt, several reports came in on Thursday of a bear in the area of Maple Avenue and Kent Drive. Officials said anyone who sees the bear should not approach or disturb it.
If assistance is needed, residents are asked to call the Westchester County Police at 914-864-7700 or the New York State Police at 914-737-7171.
The following day, the Ossining Police Department confirmed reports of a juvenile black bear roaming near the Woods Condominiums in the town’s unincorporated area.
Police advised residents to leave the bear alone and make noise if necessary to scare it off. They reminded the public that bears are seeking food ahead of hibernation and urged residents to secure garbage and recycling and never feed bears.
The sightings follow recent black bear activity in the Stevens/Elwood area in Hawthorne on Thursday, Oct. 2, as Daily Voice previously reported.
One local resident also saw this bear near the Stonegate area of Valhalla on Wednesday, Oct. 1, she told Daily Voice.
Bear encounters are not uncommon in the Hudson Valley during the fall. Authorities stress that while bears are generally not aggressive, they can be dangerous if approached, startled, or emboldened after being given food.
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