They might not be smarter than the average bear after all and there could be a sad reason why.

Bears in the Hudson Valley seem to be growing increasingly more calm near humans. Are they getting comfortable or could there be a more serious issue?

You may have noticed on social media that Hudson Valley bears seems to be getting less and less aggressive. There is tons of footage of bears online behaving weirdly and acting unbothered by humans. Something similar is happening to bears in California and a brain infection might be to blame.

I know they look cute and they may seem fascinating but bears are one of those creatures that humans are supposed to avoid at all costs. We're not exactly at the top of the food chain in the wilderness. Bears can be dangerous but a new disease is making it difficult for them to live in the wild.

According to Live Science, this brain infection was found in California Black Bears and it's causing them to have symptoms like lethargy, seizures, tremors, lack of appetite and affection towards humans like some stray animals.

It's especially noticeable in bears that are around a year old. Live Science says the reason for the behavior could be due to swelling of the brain and could be caused by a number of things like a virus, fungus or bacteria.

The disease is called encephalitis and though it's been found in bears out west could it be among the New York bear population as well? The disease has an unknown origin.

Have you seen young black bears acting strangely through the Hudson Valley?


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