Bear cubs found ‘huddled’ together by railroad with no mother in sight in New York

A railroad employee came across two black bear cubs stranded by railroad tracks and called authorities, New York officials say. The cubs’ mother was nowhere to be found.

An environmental conservation officer arrived and found the cubs “huddled” together in the bushes by the tracks in Pawling, located in the state’s Hudson Valley region, on March 31, according to an April 13 news release from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.

The officer scooped the motherless bears up by wrapping them in a hoodie, officials said.

Then, he met with wildlife rehabilitators from Friends of the Feathered and Furry Wildlife Center who evaluated the cubs.

Ultimately, the cubs were “in good condition and expected to recover,” the release said.

People should be careful when encountering bear cubs because the mothers are known to be protective, the state’s DEC warns online.

Officials advise staying calm if you see a bear and making loud noises, such as clapping or yelling, to scare it off.

Pawling is a village located east of the Hudson River and roughly 70 miles northeast of New York City.

Julia Marnin

McClatchy DC

Julia Marnin covers courts for McClatchy News, writing about criminal and civil affairs, including cases involving policing, corrections, civil liberties, fraud, and abuses of power. As a reporter on McClatchy’s National Real-Time Team, she’s also covered the COVID-19 pandemic and a variety of other topics since joining in 2021, following a fellowship with Newsweek. Born in Biloxi, Mississippi, she was raised in South Jersey and is now based in New York State.