Watch: Black Bear Meanders Past Poughquag Home

POUGHQUAG, NY — Black bears generally try to avoid humans, but that doesn't appear to be the case in Poughquag, where doorbell camera video caught one bear strolling onto and through a neighbor's driveway. In a short clip posted on the Neighbors app, the animal meanders past a Toyota sedan and into the darkness Thursday evening.

What's more, the animal's stroll happened around 6 p.m., when commuters are typically returning home.

This isn't the first time recently that a black bear has wandered onto a resident's property in the Hudson Valley. Another bear took a jaunt through a Wingdale neighbor's yard on the night of Dec. 27, hopping over and around patio furniture. In that case, the animal lingered for a while.

While black bears are usually found in the wilderness, they can be found in semi-rural environments, agricultural areas and occasionally in urban centers.

"Black bears are an important and natural component of New York's ecosystem," the state Department of Environmental Conservation writes on its website. "Whether you live or recreate in the bear country, please help maintain and protect the bear."

Officials warned residents to protect themselves and their property by refraining from feeding bears, as well as limiting things that attract them.

Ring, the owner of the Neighbors app, is a Patch advertiser. Patch received no compensation for this article.