Two Bears Escape Adirondacks Refuge

The search is on for two bears that escaped from the Adirondack Wildlife Refuge.

Two ambassador black bears, one brown and one black, escaped from their enclosure. The Adirondack Wildlife Refuge in Wilmington, New York is working with the DEC to locate them and bring them home.

"If you spot a brown black bear, that's Luve, the smaller of our two sows, and probably the only brown black bear in the Adirondacks," says Steve Hall from the Wildlife Refuge. "These are captive-bred ambassador bears, used for education purposes. We've had them since they were one month old and they're harmless."

If you see these bears, you're asked to not approach them or try to feed them. "We believe our bears are within a 3 mile radius of the Wildlife Refuge, and are exploring. Bears are the only mammals with a nose more sensitive than a gray wolf, so they should be able to smell the food at the Refuge."

If you see the bears, you're asked to call Jim Stickles of the DEC at 518-897-1300, or Steve Hall of Adirondack Wildlife at 914-772-5983, or 855-Wolf-Man.

The Wildlife Refuge takes in hundreds of animals every year that are sick or injured with the goal of releasing them back into the wild. Learn more about everything being done at AdirondackWildlifeRefuge.org.