Black Bear Spotted in Nyack Wednesday Evening

When 11-year-old Amanda McNulty and her mom took their dog for a walk yesterday evening, they stumbled across an unexpected visitor.

The pair caught sight of a young black bear in a tree near the Sixth Avenue and Front Street intersection at around 7:15 p.m. "It was so crazy," Amanda McNulty recalled. She noted that the bear appeared calm, and that the family labradoodle was excited by the encounter. "My mom had to hold onto the leash," she said.

Amanda was quick to notify her father, Brian McNulty, who grew up in Pearl River nearby hundreds of untamed acres—but this bear sighting was his first, too.

"It's totally not routine," he said. "It was in a developed neighborhood."

Clarkstown Police were also alerted, who later issued a reverse-911 call to residents, urging them to wrap up any outdoor food and place lids securely on garbage cans. Authorities noted black bears can become aggressive if cornered.

The bear was last seen at around 8 p.m. on Wednesday further north in Upper Nyack. The Department of Environmental Conservation was alerted, as well, police said.