PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. -
Lions, tigers and bears, oh my! Okay, maybe just bears... but a bear cub wants to call a busy part of Plattsburgh home. There have been hundreds of sightings in the past three weeks, and just today a trap was set, because many people say there's no room for the wannabe city slicker.
"I would just run," Plattsburgh resident, Theresa Rasco said.
It's not a Halloween costume, the ferocious 40 pounder is the real deal, and he's been cruising the streets of Plattsburgh for the past three weeks.
"It's a little fury looking thing. It's very cute," Lieutenant Patrick Rascoe of the Plattsburgh Police Department said.
Bears must not know that honey's not a standard item for Trick or Treaters, otherwise he might head back to the woods.
"I don't think it knows that Halloween candy exists yet, but it's liking the wild grapes and raspberries that are all over the place out there," Lt. Rascoe said.
There have been no sightings in neighborhood trees or backyards, but he's gotten pretty comfortable on the Terry Gordon bike path. That's where the Department of Environmental Conservation has set a trap... Bait? Donuts of course.
"We need to get it to a safer place for the wintertime," Lt. Rascoe said.
The cub was first seen at Sibley Hall on the SUNY Plattsburgh campus, and because it's a busy area, the school informed students.
"Have you seen the black bear?" I asked Mitchell Ramsey. He said, "I have not, I want to though."
"It wants to stay away from people, this is not a nuisance bear that is getting into people's trash cans by any means," Lt. Rascoe said.
Because the bear is still small, Police say he isn't a threat to society, but they still want to move him, so he's not the scariest thing we see next Halloween!
Police are wondering if maybe the mama bear was killed, because there haven't been any sightings of her. Then Police think the bear followed the river, into the city.
