Bear on campus

The following email was sent out to everyone at Marist yesterday:

About 12 Noon today, September 1, 2011, a large Black Bear was observed on the North End of the Campus in the woods at St. Anne's. The Office of Safety and Security and the Town of Poughkeepsie Police were notified.

It is not unusual for black bears to find there way into the area as they forage for food.

All members of the community are urged to be alert as they walk or jog through the paths of the North end of campus. If the bear is seen move away immediately and call Security right away.

Thank you for your continued commitment to campus safety.

Usually, these security emails end with "If you see something, say something."

This one should have ended with "If you see something like this (a bear), run like hell!"

As the email stated, bear sightings around here are not uncommon. I have encountered them on early-morning jogs in Hyde Park neighborhoods. Many times, they swim across the Hudson River (no joke! bears are excellent swimmers) from their home in the Catskill Mountains.

One last serious point: Running from a bear is generally not a good idea. Bears can run upwards of 25-30 miles per hour. And no matter how fast you think you are ... you are not that fast.