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In Fursuit: Search For Cubs Underway After Mama Bear Killed On Taconic State Parkway In Fursuit: Search For Cubs Underway After Mama Bear Killed On Taconic State Parkway
In Fursuit: Search For Cubs Underway After Mama Bear Killed On Taconic State Parkway Despite social media buzz and some help from a couple of drone operators, there’s still no sign of a family of black bear cubs days after their mama was struck and killed on a highway in the region. The Columbia County incident happened Friday evening, April 19, on the Taconic State Parkway near Exit 99 in the hamlet of Spencertown. Two or three 10-pound cubs that are still nursing were left orphaned when the adult bear was hit and killed, according to the wildlife nonprofit Lucky Rehabilitation Center. “We located the body of their mom and will be gathering hair samples this morning in th…

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by Michael Mashburn
Police & Fire
Homeowner From Region Shoots Black Bear Who Entered Residence Homeowner From Region Shoots Black Bear Who Entered Residence
Homeowner From Region Shoots Black Bear Who Entered Residence A black bear is still on the loose after breaking into a Hudson Valley home and being shot by the homeowner. The incident occurred in Orange County on Thursday, March 28 in Greenwood Lake. According to the state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), a department police officer responded to the residence after a homeowner called 911 to report a black bear broke into an enclosed front porch.  The homeowner reported shooting the black bear once with a handgun and the bear ran off into the woods, DEC officials said. Attempts to locate the bear were unsuccessful. DEC’s investiga…

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by Kathy Reakes
Lifestyle
Where's Albert? 11-Foot Gator's Seizure From NY Home Sparks Backlash: 'Kind Of Messed Up' Where's Albert? 11-Foot Gator's Seizure From NY Home Sparks Backlash: 'Kind Of Messed Up'
Where's Albert? 11-Foot Gator's Seizure From NY Home Sparks Backlash: 'Kind Of Messed Up' Where is Albert the alligator? That’s what a New York man and his thousands of supporters are demanding to know after state wildlife officials seized his 11-foot, 750-pound gator from his home. Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) officers showed up to Tony Cavallaro’s Erie County residence in the town Hamburg on Wednesday, March 13, after learning that he had built an addition to his home and installed an in-ground swimming pool to keep the gator. Officers accused Cavallaro of allowing members of the public, including children, to get into the water and pet Albert while the all…

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by Michael Mashburn
News
Man From Region Admits Selling $70K In Elephant Ivory Pool Cues, DA Says Man From Region Admits Selling $70K In Elephant Ivory Pool Cues, DA Says
Man From Region Admits Selling $70K In Elephant Ivory Pool Cues, DA Says A Hudson Valley man has been convicted for his part in the illegal commercialization of elephant ivory worth more than $70,000. Rockland County resident Kenneth Kerner, age 59, of Clarkstown, was convicted on Thursday, Feb. 22 after pleading guilty to the crime on Thursday, Feb. 8, said the New State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and New York County District Attorney’s Office. Kerner, who was sentenced to five years probation, 200 hours of community service, and an obligation to donate $10,000 to a wildlife organization was caught as part of an investigation that began…

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by Kathy Reakes
News
Mystery Predator: Animal That Killed Deer In Driveway Caught On Video By NY DEC Staffer Mystery Predator: Animal That Killed Deer In Driveway Caught On Video By NY DEC Staffer
Mystery Predator: Animal That Killed Deer In Driveway Caught On Video By NY DEC Staffer That darn cat. Or was it? An incident that happened in upstate New York last week required a teamwide effort by members of the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. A video from the town of Wilmington in Essex County, about 12 miles northeast of Lake Placid, captured the predator that killed a deer in a local resident's driveway. "The incident was reported to DEC wildlife, with an eyewitness description of the event and the mystery predator," the DEC said in a Facebook post. "A DEC wildlife biologist responded to the scene and set up a trail camera overlooking the carcass in …

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by Joe Lombardi
News
Man Accused Of Illegally Killing Deer Near Home In Town Of Rochester Man Accused Of Illegally Killing Deer Near Home In Town Of Rochester
Man Accused Of Illegally Killing Deer Near Home In Town Of Rochester A Hudson Valley man has been issued multiple tickets by state conservation officials for allegedly killing a deer out of season. The incident took place in Ulster County on Friday, Oct. 28 at a home in the town of Rochester. The state Department of Environmental Conservation officials responded to a home in Rochester after receiving reports of multiple deer being killed with the aid of bait, according to the DEC. The person responsible, who was not identified, admitted to shooting the deer behind his property and claimed the large trough of corn and horse feed in his backyard was intended …

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by Kathy Reakes
News
Mother Bear Illegally Shot, Killed In Ulster County, DEC Says Mother Bear Illegally Shot, Killed In Ulster County, DEC Says
Mother Bear Illegally Shot, Killed In Ulster County, DEC Says A man from the region was ticketed after allegedly illegally shooting and killing a bear in the Hudson Valley. The incident took place in Ulster County in the town of Rochester in October, said the state Department of Environmental Conservation. According to a report from DEC, two department officers received reports that someone had illegally killed a bear. The complainant said a local hunter shot the female bear with a bow and then, with two accomplices, tracked the animal into the woods and killed it with a shotgun.  The hunter posted several pictures of himself and the two ac…

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by Kathy Reakes
News
12-Year-Old Attacked By Bear At Park In Region 12-Year-Old Attacked By Bear At Park In Region
12-Year-Old Attacked By Bear At Park In Region A 12-year-old Boy Scout is on the mend after an encounter with a black bear left him with minor injuries, ABC7 reports. Henry Ayers told the outlet he was with his troop from Cooperstown camping at Harriman State Park, located in both Rockland and Orange counties, Sunday, May 1, when he awoke to a sharp pain in his leg. "I look up and it was a giant bear,” Ayers told ABC7. “I thought it was a nightmare. It was honestly crazy. I didn't think I was awake." The Scoutmaster, Diana Nicols, told the outlet the bear bit through the boy’s sleeping bag, leaving him with minor cuts and bruises. He…

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by Michael Mashburn
Lifestyle
Tiny Goldfish Dumped In Lakes Are Growing To Football Size As Officials Issue Warning Tiny Goldfish Dumped In Lakes Are Growing To Football Size As Officials Issue Warning
Tiny Goldfish Dumped In Lakes Are Growing To Football Size As Officials Issue Warning Do not release your pet goldfish in lakes or ponds. That's what officials are saying after a huge goldfish was recently pulled from a Minnesota lake, an issue that has been seen across the United States in recent years. National Geographic said while a goldfish typically weighs just 0.2 to 0.6 pounds, they can weigh more than five pounds in the wild, CBS News reported. "They grow bigger than you think and contribute to poor water quality by mucking up the bottom sediments and uprooting plants," the City of Burnsville, Minnesota, tweeted on Friday, July 9.  In recent years, huge g…

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by Nicole Valinote
News
Hudson Valley Man Convicted Of Shark Trafficking Hudson Valley Man Convicted Of Shark Trafficking
Hudson Valley Man Convicted Of Shark Trafficking The tide has turned on a Hudson Valley man who was convicted of shark trafficking protected species that he kept in his pool with the intent to sell, the Attorney General announced. Dutchess County resident Joshua Seguine, age 40, of Lagrangeville, pleaded guilty to illegal commercialization of fish, shellfish, crustaceans, and wildlife, for the illegal possession with intent to sell seven sandbar sharks, a protected species under New York law New York AG Letitia James and the New York State Department of Environmental Conversation Commissioner (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos announced that…

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by Zak Failla
News
Rattlesnake Discovered In Driveway Of Area Residence Rattlesnake Discovered In Driveway Of Area Residence
Rattlesnake Discovered In Driveway Of Area Residence A Rockland County resident received an unexpected visitor when a rattlesnake made its way up an area driveway. A Hillburn resident reported to police over the weekend that a rattlesnake made a surprise guest appearance on his property, prompting an emergency response from police in Ramapo. According to police, a local snake handler and expert responded to the Blakslee Place home and safely removed the rattlesnake from the driveway, who has been relocated to a safe place. The New York State Department of Health said that rattlesnakes are generally found in deciduous forests in rugged terra…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Ulster Man Admits To Illegally Hunting Deer Ulster Man Admits To Illegally Hunting Deer
Ulster Man Admits To Illegally Hunting Deer An Ulster man paid $605 in fines and surcharges after he admitted to baiting and illegally hunting deer. Ulster County resident Robert Nelson, of Esopus, was charged with the misdemeanor of illegally taking a deer and a violation of hunting with the aid of bait in November 2019, after the state Department of Environmental Conservation received a tip, the state DEC said on Thursday, Jan. 9. After receiving the tip, EC Officer Jeannette Bastedo responded to the area, that was known to be baited in the past, and located a pile of feed approximately 15 yards from a tree stand, as well as a bloo…

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by Kathy Reakes
Lifestyle
Video: Watch Brand-New Bear Sighting In Area Video: Watch Brand-New Bear Sighting In Area
Video: Watch Brand-New Bear Sighting In Area One of the first bear sightings of the New Year has been reported in the area. It happened on Wednesday, Jan. 8 near the Putnam County/Dutchess border where a Pawling resident received a surprise when she checked her home's surveillance camera feed and found an unexpected visitor: a black bear. In the video, the bear can be seen activating security lights, making the rounds, investigating the backyard before taking off from the driveway of the home into a nearby wooded area without incident. The new sighting comes after several throughout the area late last year. According to environment …

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by Zak Failla
Lifestyle
Deer Rescued In Area After Snout Gets Stuck In Halloween Bucket For Days Deer Rescued In Area After Snout Gets Stuck In Halloween Bucket For Days
Deer Rescued In Area After Snout Gets Stuck In Halloween Bucket For Days A yearling deer with its snout stuck in a Halloween bucket for days was saved thanks to concerned residents and animal control officials. The deer was seen in Putnam Valley by a couple of residents who then called the Putnam County SPCS and state Encon officials who were able to grab the baby and gently work the pumpkin bucket off of its head. Reportedly, the bucket was stuck on the deer for four days, and once it was posted to social media people across the country became concerned about the poor little deer. The community, which sees the yearling and her mother around the area, have name…

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by Kathy Reakes
Lifestyle
Deer-Mating Season, Earlier Sunsets Lead To Increases In Crashes Deer-Mating Season, Earlier Sunsets Lead To Increases In Crashes
Deer-Mating Season, Earlier Sunsets Lead To Increases In Crashes Oh, deer. It’s deer mating season, and area residents have been cautioned that there will be a rise in vehicle collisions involving the animal for several months. The breeding season for white-tailed deer in the area runs from October to January, with peak activity taking place in mid-November, leading to an increase of sightings and collisions involving deer vs. drivers. AAA said that following the shift in clocks for Daylight Savings Time over the weekend, drivers and pedestrians should be most aware of potential collisions with deer between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. during the evening commute.…

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by Zak Failla
News
ID Released For Woman Who Climbed Into Lion's Den At Bronx Zoo ID Released For Woman Who Climbed Into Lion's Den At Bronx Zoo
ID Released For Woman Who Climbed Into Lion's Den At Bronx Zoo Police have identified the daredevil who dove into a lion enclosure at the Bronx Zoo in a video that went viral over the weekend. Brooklyn resident Myah Autry, 32, managed to escape unharmed after she leaped into the African lion exhibit and appeared to taunt one of the animals in a video that went viral on social media over the weekend. In videos posted on Instagram, Autry can be seen climbing over the fence into the lion’s den, then waving, talking, apparently taunting, and dancing in front of the king of the jungle, despite warnings and protestations from other zoo-goers. She captioned …

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by Zak Failla