Pound Ridge Bears

“Mind if I root through your trash?” We’re not sure if Pound Ridge Town Supervisor, Kevin C. Hansan was coughing into his sleeve or if his ursine visitor was indeed the Robitussen Honey Bear but he was kind enough to pass on some information about his experience seeing a bear in his backyard and bear etiquette, as well. So we decided to share it with our readers:

Considering a bear decided to invade my property this week and made a meal of my trash cans, now is a good time for an update on bear awareness. Hibernation season is over and the bears are awake and active! According to Chief Ryan, there are at least 5 adult bears roaming around Town. A mama bear and her two cubs has been spotted on Fancher Road, at the Town House and the Town Park. The bear off Long Ridge Road, probably making its way up from the Mianus River Gorge, also has two cubs. The other bears are roaming around by the Trinity Reservoir (Eastwoods Preserve/Old Mill River Road), Blue Heron Lake (Rt 172), and Kitchawan Lake (PR Reservation). There may be more.

Direct encounters with bears are rare. You can minimize the possibility of a confrontation by following this basic rule: never approach, feed, or follow a bear, especially a bear with CUBS. Birdfeeders, trashcans, and grills seem to be a main attraction for bears, and they’ll eat almost anything with an odor including aluminum foil, plastic, and food wrappers. Do better than I did and consider keeping your trash cans in the garage or invest in some bear-resistant containers. For more information on bears and bear encounters click here.

Kevin C. Hansan
Supervisor