Big Bear in the City - Steuben County
In the early morning hours of July 17, ECO Matthew Baker received a call from the Hornell Police Department requesting assistance with a black bear within the city limits. ECO Baker responded and spoke with a Hornell City Police Officer, who was standing by monitoring the bear from about 30 feet away as it was resting under a tree. Officer Baker contacted Lt. Matthew Lochner and DEC biologists for assistance with the bear, as he determined it would need to be tranquilized to safely remove it from city limits. ECO Baker and Hornell PD stood by, keeping the public away from the bear until the biologists arrived. The bear was successfully darted and tagged and weighed in at an impressive 340 pounds before being moved and released at a nearby state forest property.
ECO Baker and the tranquilized bear
