Albany Bear Spotted in Tree, Police Shut Down Local Streets

You Don't See This Every Day

You don’t see this every day in Albany… but when you do, it definitely gets your attention.

Police say a bear has been spotted up in a tree, forcing multiple road closures in a residential neighborhood.

According to the Albany Police Department, Second Avenue between Hoffman Avenue and Frisbie Avenue is currently closed to all traffic due to the sighting. Garden Street at Raymo Street is also shut down as crews respond.

Drivers Asked to Avoid the Area

Drivers are being urged to avoid the area and find alternate routes while officials work on the situation.

While bear sightings in parts of Upstate New York aren’t exactly rare, seeing one perched in a tree in the middle of an Albany neighborhood is always a wild scene.

In many cases like this, environmental officials will monitor the animal and may tranquilize it to safely relocate it away from populated areas.

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That’s what happened during a similar situation a few years back, when a bear climbed a tree just down the street from my home near Washington Park. That bear was eventually darted and relocated to the Catskills and survived the encounter.

For now, authorities are asking the public to keep their distance and let professionals handle it. We'll update the situation when we get word.

It’s another reminder that in the Capital Region, you never quite know what might wander into your neighborhood.