Bear Cub Found With Chicken Feeder Stuck on Head in Hudson Valley

We've been hearing a lot regarding bear sightings here in the Hudson Valley, and the DEC has issued many warnings and tips for avoiding bear conflicts. Recently a bear cub was spotted with a chicken feeder stuck on its head.

On July 1, Environmental Officers received a call from a resident in the hamlet of Round Top about a black bear cub with what appeared to be a bucket stuck on its head. Officers responded to the location, but the cub had wandered into a nearby wooded area by the time he arrived.

Over the course of the next several days, officers received multiple calls and text messages from nearby residents, including a photograph of the cub perched on a tree trunk with a plastic chicken feeder on its head, an object unlikely to break apart or fall off without intervention.

On July 10, officers received a call from the manager of a resort in Round Top who located the cub in a wooded area. ECOs and New York State Police Trooper responded to the area, located the cub-now accompanied by additional cubs and a sow-and formulated a plan to remove the object.

The sow was hazed away from the area to provide enough space and time for the responding Officers to secure the cub in a catchpole. Lt. Glorioso then cut the thick plastic collar of the chicken feeder and removed it from the cub's head. The cub was released back to the sow without injury.

For more information on reducing human-bear conflicts, visit DEC's website.