Black bear seen 'traversing the City of Batavia' in the wee hours

"A black bear was seen traversing the City of Batavia during the late and and early morning hours this morning," according to a press release from City Police.

The bear was described as a juvenile to young adult. It was first seen in the area of North and Summit street around 1 a.m. A second sighting was near 21 Summit St. Police officers observed the bear moments after the reported second sighting near 11 Summit St.

NYS Department of Environmental Conservation was notified and dispatched an officer to the scene. The bear was tracked as it exited the City in the area of Chestnut Street around 5 a.m.

Although it rarely happens in the City of Batavia, bears have been known to travel through Western New York as they migrate south this time of year. The public should be aware of this and never try to approach the animal but report sightings to the police.

Bears will stop and feed at bird feeders or uncontained garbage, so it is a good idea to keep garbage contained and waste around the bottom of bird feeders clear of debris.