NORWICH – Sunday night at around 11:30 p.m., the Norwich City Police Department received a report that there was a bear roaming the streets on the west side of the city behind the Chenango County office building. Local residents called into the station and told police a black bear was wandering the area. A patrol car was sent to confirm the call and discovered a black bear heading west on Fair Street.
“This is a first for us. I don’t ever remember a bear being sighted in the city limits,” said Deputy Chef Van Miles. The police car continued to monitor the bear and followed it behind a Fair Street residence. The bear entered the back yard and climbed up into a tree.
The Norwich PD contacted the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and requested assistance. The DEC dispatched one of its officers to assist in the situation. The officers continued to monitor the bear and with a little guidance – and a few rubber bullets – it left the city on its own. “With the assistance of the environmental conservation officer, we were able to get this animal out of the city without any contact with residents,” said Miles.
Black bears are not aggressive by nature and attacks on humans are very rare. “These bears avoid contact with humans as best they can. They’ll just run away,” said Miles.
Black bears are common to the upstate area of New York, but avoid urban areas. “Most likely it was motivated by the smell of food. This food was probably uncovered garbage,” said Miles.
The Norwich PD wants to remind residents that a city ordinance requires garbage kept outdoors be in a durable sealed container. If there is no food source, all these nuisance animals would go someplace else to eat, said police.
Police recommend that if you encounter a black bear, give it plenty of room and try to avoid any contact by slowly backing away and leaving the area.