NORWICH — Recently, Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) of Chenango County presented a program on the ecology and natural history of black bears.

Naturalist Tom Tasber of CCE Broome County delivered the program to a small group of interested attendees.

The crowd learned many new facts about New York State’s black bear population in three historically geographical locations in the state.

CCE Grazing, Forestry, Ag Economic Development Specialist Rich Taber gave a summary of the presentation and said the three locations include the Adirondacks, the southern end of the state; mostly in the Catskill region, and the southwest portion of the state’s southern tier.

“In recent years, the population has been slowly increasing to previously uninhabited regions of the state, including Chenango County,” said Taber.

Recently, backyard bear sightings have been in McDonough, Pharsalia, and East Pharsalia, with a sighting last year in a Norwich neighborhood.

Taber said bears can become a nuisance if they become accustomed to feeding on food scraps, as well as rooting through garbage dumps.

“This is why feeding bears in now illegal and open dumps have been for the most part eliminated throughout the state,” he said.

Previous ways of dealing with nuisance bears was to trap and release them far away into wilder areas, but Taber said, “Sooner or later, the bears seem to return to their original territories.”

He also noted their hibernation is in late fall and that when cubs are born, they are born blind and helpless, remaining in denning sites with their mothers, finally to emerge in the spring.

Mother bears are also called “Sows” and typically give birth to two cubs, sometimes three, and rarely four,” added Taber.

CCE Chenango County hopes to deliver similar programs in the future. For further information or to request a particular species of topic for the next program, contact Rich Taber at 607-334-5841, extension 1025.