DEC on Old Forge bear incident: Relocation essentially passes the problem on to the next community

OLD FORGE- Why couldn't the DEC simply relocate the bears?

That seems to be one of the most common questions amidst a wild social media frenzy, where people have been reacting and giving their two-cents over a mother bear and her two cubs that were euthanized over the weekend in the Western Adirondacks. 

As previously reported, New York State DEC Environmental Conservation Officers euthanized a mother bear and her two cubs in Old Forge, NY. 

The incident occurred on Sunday, August 11. Town of Webb Tourism Director, Mike Farmer, reported to us on Tuesday that a crowd of people attempted interacting with the bears as they navigated into town.

Farmer said there were attempts by local officials and local residents to disperse the invading crowd around the bears, but adequate space for the bears to escape was apparently not adhered to by the several onlookers. 

Because the mother bear showed increasing signs of severe agitation amidst the crowd of intruding spectators, the DEC feared the bear could all of sudden snap and lash out, thus resulting in their unfortunate decision to euthanize it and her two cubs.

Mr. Farmer made it clear from his perspective in our previous report that the people surrounding the bear and her two cubs failed to respect them.

So why were the bears euthanized? Several people on social media have been commenting on publications regarding the matter, demanding some sort of an explanation. 

You may or may not be aware, but the DEC actually has a Black Bear Response Manual and it outlines procedures for responding to and handling bear encounters with people.

"Based on the bears' increasingly aggressive behavior, DEC determined the animals to be a potential risk to public safety and classified the animals as "Class 1" due to the level of interaction," the DEC said in a released statement.

Bears determined to fit behaviors in the Class 1 category pose the greatest threats to humans and public safety and the DEC says any Class 1 bear has to be euthanized, according to the manual.

Another question people seem to be banging a drum over revolves around the idea of relocating the bears.

In theory, it sounds like a perfect solution, however the DEC says its not so simple. "Once a bear has learned to associate humans with food it is unlikely they unlearn that behavior, which makes relocation impossible, essentially passing the problem on to another community," the DEC said in a released statement.

With that emphasized, DEC officials clarified that these bears in particular frequented Nicks Lake Campground near Old Forge, where they had gained access to non-natural food sources from campers, unsecured garbage, and attempted to gain access to at least one vehicle.

Furthermore, DEC also received reports of the bears charging at staff at the campground that were attempting to move them along and a vehicle in the area.

DEC reminds the public that it is illegal to feed wildlife, including bears, and repeat access to food sources may make bears bolder.

NYS DEC Black Bear image.