We haven't been able to confirm it, but a reader reports that bears may have been spotted in the area of Platt Road and Kelsey Road in the Town of Batavia.
Mike Wasilco, regional wildlife manager for the Department of Environmental Control, said if there are bears in the area, nobody has called the DEC.
"I wouldn't be surprised," Wasilco said. "Bears have been seen recently in Wyoming County, which isn't that far away. What happens is young male bears strike out looking to find their own territory. This time of year you see bears in areas where you haven't seen them before."
His advice: Don't leave out food, no bird feeders, garbage, BBQ grills or pet food.
"Bears will behave themselves until they figure out that people are a nice and easy source of food," he said.
Meanwhile, while speaking with Wasilco, I asked him about the beavers building a dam near Creek Road in Bethany, which we covered Monday. He said the local property owners can apply for a permit to relocate the beavers, which they can then either do themselves or higher a specialist. Of course, one problem: The property owners with the problem don't own the land where the beavers are building, and that property owner is happy with the dam.
