Local Teacher Shares Bear Encounter at Bakery In Hopewell

A local teacher happened to stumble upon the big bear wandering around a popular bread spot.

Bear sightings in the Hudson Valley are nothing unusual. 5 years ago back in 2019, Hudson Valley Post covered the story of multiple bears showing up at a residents in Pine Plains. That same year, "Monsey the Bear" became a local celebrity in Rockland County as a large crowd gathered to check him out.

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In 2022, Hudson Valley Schools Cancelled Activities After Bear Sightings on Campus at SUNY New Paltz (Ulster County) and Monroe-Woodbury Schools (Orange County). There was also the story out of a Bear Breaking Down a Door to get into a Dutchess County Home. The incident occurred in Dover Plains. NYS DEC has in the past put out warnings for Hudson Valley Campsites and Backyard BBQ's to watch out for bears. Around this time last year a curious bear was spotted in a tree in the City of Poughkeepsie.

Bear Sighting at Bakery in Hopewell Junction

Jennifer Benante Sullivan, a high school teacher from Poughkeepsie posted in the Facebook group East Fishkill Community Forum about a bear sighting in Hopewell Junction this past Wednesday morning at around 7:45am. The posting was met with over 600 reactions and nearly 200 comments.

Just now at Mario’s in Hopewell! I was shaking he was so big!

Sullivan tells us that she I had gone to work but I had to run back home because she forgot something-"I turned onto 376 right there and happened to look to my left and saw him in the Mario’s Brick Oven Bread lot wandering around." She says that she pulled into the side driveway for Mario’s and sat there for a few minutes watching him until he wandered into to the bush line right there. Mario's has been called a spectacular Hudson Valley Hot Spot, known for their delicious bread. So good in fact that people have been known to wait in line for hours for it.

Mario's Brick Oven Bread Facebook

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One person commented that it was likely that the bear was waiting for Mario's to open cause he wanted some bread.

Bear on Campus at SUNY New Paltz NY

On Thursday (June 23, 2022) this unassuming good-size black bear wandered onto campus and decided to climb a tree. The SUNY New Paltz Police along with the NYS DEC Police monitored the situation on-site. They were able to encourage the campus visitor to return home without incident.

Gallery Credit: Paty Quyn