Tips to avoid bear encounters as they prepare for hibernation

ELMIRA, N.Y. (WETM)- Bear sightings are becoming a common occurrence this autumn, across the Twin Tiers. The American Black Bear (Ursus Americanus) is the most common bear species in the United States, and around 10-15% of the population in New York State resides within the central-western region of New York. Ryan Donnelly, lead educator at Tanglewood Nature Center, informed 18 news that more human-bear interactions occur in late October, as Black Bears prepare for hibernation. "They're going to be eating about ten times what they usually eat," Donnelly explained, and this increased appetite results in Black Bears eating around 20,000 calories a day to prepare for hibernation. To avoid Black Bears rummaging through household refuse, Donnelly recommends washing garbage cans with bleach or C