“Break-in” bear euthanized in Glen Spey

Three cubs remain

By SANDY LONG

GLEN SPEY, NY — A female bear was euthanized last week after breaking a kitchen window in an attempt to enter a home in the Mohican Lake area. The sow had a recent history of break-ins, involving other homes and a barn. The New York Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), which establishes and enforces the state’s bear regulations, classifies such bears as “Category One,” or chronic offenders.

Area residents reacted with dismay when the DEC’s investigating officer, Matt Merchant, made the difficult decision to euthanize the bear, which left three orphaned cubs to fend for themselves. The cubs, two males and a female, are roughly five months old and weigh approximately 50 pounds each. And although it’s considered a close call, the DEC acted on the belief that the cubs are strong enough to survive, and are mostly weaned.

Jean Soprano, the state’s only licensed bear rehabilitator, agreed. Soprano, who operates Kindred Kingdom Wildlife Rehabilitation, Inc., will soon release three other cubs she has been rehabilitating. Those cubs are six months old and weigh approximately 60 pounds. In two weeks, the DEC, which licenses all NY wildlife rehabilitators and originally brought these cubs to Soprano, will return to tranquilize and transport the cubs to a known den site. DEC wildlife biologists will track their progress through radio collars placed on the cubs.

“It wouldn’t have made sense to bring the orphaned cubs here at this point since they would be released so soon. They have the survival skills they need now,” said Soprano.

Local licensed wildlife rehabilitator Debbie Rykowski reacted differently to how DEC officials handled the matter. “It made me sick. I think it was a big mistake leaving the three cubs behind. One of the cubs remained treed for 24 hours. The community is very upset.”

Partly a “people problem”

Category One bears are considered dangerous to humans. “Once a bear has been conditioned, it will repeat the behavior,” said DEC spokeswoman Kim Chupa. “The action taken was consistent with our regulations. Attempting to move an adult Category One bear relocates the danger,” added Chupa. “The sooner the cubs are separated from the mother in this case, the better, so that they don’t become conditioned into the same behavior.”

“It’s a terrible tragedy and a heartbreak to everyone,” said Soprano. “The DEC never wants to take such an action. They’ve gone to the ends of the earth to save cubs, driving six hours to bring a cub covered with mange here. But bears are opportunists. Once an adult bear becomes habituated to humans and succeeds in obtaining food, it often becomes a repeat offender and a danger to humans.”

For this reason, Soprano goes to extreme lengths to avoid habituating her rehab bears to human contact. Cubs are blind-fed so that they never see the source of their food. They are monitored by closed-circuit television. “We want them to be wary of humans and avoid contact with them at all costs,” she said.

As the population increases throughout the Upper Delaware region, bear habitat is consumed by development and the potential for human-bear conflicts multiplies. Rykowski said that it is the responsibility of humans to learn more about bears. “This is bear country. People need to realize that they’re building their homes in places where bears have always lived.”

Are you helping to “create” a nuisance bear?

There is substantial evidence to support the popular phrase, “A fed bear is a dead bear.”

Bears that become habituated to humans are at greatest risk for human-bear conflicts. Bears that lose their natural fear of humans often end up climbing onto decks, entering kitchens to investigate enticing odors and damaging property to gain access to garbage. Don’t contribute to their demise by unwittingly encouraging bears to become a problem.

As the Pennsylvania Game Commission puts it, “Giving a bear food will encourage it to approach other, unsuspecting people, which could lead to an unpleasant or possibly dangerous encounter, and could lead to the bear having to be destroyed. Never reward a bear for associating with people. It’s what’s best for you, the next person and the bear.”

The DEC provides helpful information about black bears at www.dec.state.ny.us/website/dfwmr/wildlife/wildgame/bear.htm. “Living with Bears,” “Preventing Bear Problems” and “Bears and Bird Feeders” are just a few of the documents that can help increase understanding of black bears and improve our ability to coexist. Try the following tips to avoid encouraging bears to become nuisances.

· Stop feeding birds from late spring through late fall.

· Place garbage outside only on the day of pickup and clean cans with ammonia, bleach or Lysol. Get into the habit of freezing food items such as meat bones and trimmings, then toss them out on garbage day.

· Store garbage cans in a garage or other secure facility.

· Don’t feed pets or other wild animals outside.

· Turn grills on “High” after cooking, and clean or remove grease traps.