Bear Spotted Near A Westchester Elementary School On Thursday

PEEKSKILL, NY — Summer break is almost here, but there was still time for a little excitement at an elementary school in Westchester County.

The Peekskill City School District posted on social media on Thursday that a bear had been spotted in an area near the Woodside Elementary School, and was moving away from the school. Officials said that police had been notified and were monitoring the area. The scheduled early dismissal was not affected by the bear sighting. In a later update, the school district said that police had pushed the bear into the Blue Mountain area.

According to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC), black bears are "transient occupants of Westchester County," and their movement tends to increase this time of year as breeding season begins and young bears look to find their own spaces.

While black bears are usually not dangerous to humans, they may become so if they become conditioned to human presence, or feel threatened.

If you see a bear, do not approach it. If possible, remain indoors, or in a safe location, until it leaves the vicinity. Children and pets should be closely monitored.

If a bear is damaging property or does not leave the area, but the situation is not an emergency, call the DEC regional wildlife office during business hours at 845-256-3098.

If a bear presents an immediate danger to public safety, call 911.

"A bear is nothing more than a large raccoon," Tom Koepf of the Department of Environmental Conservation told WABC-TV in 2015. "If there's food out they're going to eat it, they're just scavengers."

The best way to keep bears from entering a yard is to remove any sort of food, public safety officials say. Even bird feeders should be removed by April 1, according to NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) recommendations. Garbage cans should be emptied frequently and kept clean. Compost piles should be moved as far away from houses as possible. Grills with leftover grease can also attract bears, officials warned.

The NYS DEC advises that bears will only be encouraged to leave an area unless the bear creates a public disturbance, acts aggressively towards people or pets, attempts to enter homes or is injured and cannot move freely to escape.

Find more information and resources, here.

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