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Whether it's the wetter, warmer weather, increased housing starts or heightened public attention, area police are receiving more reports of coyotes, foxes, deer and geese -- as well as encounters with bears and hawks.
On June 6, a bear sighting canceled camping for several hundred families who planned to camp overnight at Mahopac High School during the Relay for Life, according to the Putnam County Courier. Carmel Police received several reports of a bear roaming in the area off Baldwin Place Road shortly before midnight.
According to the state Department of Environmental Conservation, New York's black bear population is expanding, causing more bear-human interactions.
Daily Voice reported on several signs of bear activity in Yotktown, here as well as here this spring.
Bear sightings were reported from all corners of Weston, Conn., on July 3, according to the town’s animal control officer. And a bear was tranquilized and captured in Fairfield, Conn., in June. A week earlier in Norwalk, Conn. a black bear was spotted near the Merritt Parkway-Route 7 interchange,
According to wildlife experts, Putnam, Fairfield and Westchester counties provide plenty of green space and food for all wildlife. Deer as well as coyotes appear to have a diminished sense of fear of humans in recent years, they say.
Coyote reports have been frequent since the beginning of 2015. They also have been bold this spring, with one spotted at SUNY Purchase in Harrison during June high school graduation ceremonies and another sleeping on a green at Sleepy Hollow Country Club in Scarborough.
The state DEC offers various tips to avoid attracting coyotes to backyards, and how to react during a face-to-face encounter here:
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