Seven bears were released back into the wild in the Hudson Valley.
On Wednesday, the DEC announced in a press release Environmental Conservation officers, Jon Walraven, Melissa Burgess, and Adam Johnson, members of DEC Region 3's Chemical Immobilization Team (CIT), and Region 3 wildlife staff coordinated the relocation of seven rehabilitated bears from the Friends of the Feathered and Furry Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in Hunter.
The bears were previously brought to the facility as either orphaned cubs or young bears with injuries and in need of rehabilitation, officials say. The young bears average an estimated 60 to 90 pounds and are now old enough and physically strong enough to be released, according to the DEC.
DLE's CIT team is a group of specially trained ECOs who respond to wildlife emergencies when wildlife needs to be relocated for the safety of the public and/or the animals themselves, the DEC reports.
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The bears were brought to undisclosed locations in Sullivan and Ulster counties for release back into the wild on May 22.
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Categories: Hudson Valley News