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BEDFORD, N.Y. A black bear was spotted Saturday evening on Cantitoe Street near the Bedford Oak, according to Bedford Police.
A driver saw the bear around 5:30 p.m. and hikers made another sighting later that day on the trails behind St. Matthew's Church, police said. The bear was last seen at 10 p.m. Saturday on Hickory Lane, police said, but as of 2 p.m. on Sunday, police had not received any further calls.
An initial email alert from the police department warned of possible aggressive behavior, but Bedford Police Sgt. Matthew Dunn later confirmed this was not likely. "Black bears aren't aggressive. They usually just run when they see people," he said.
Some Bedford residents used Facebook to express their surprise at the sighting. In a comment on the police's Nixle alert system page, Bedford resident Heide Rowe Shilstone wrote, "We expect to see the occasional bear up in the Catkills, but on Cantitoe Street?"
And Bedford Facebook user Chuck Mitchell responded, "House hunting maybe?"
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