Another Bear Captured In Montgomery Twp. Saturday

MONTGOMERY TOWNSHIP, PA — A black bear was captured in Montgomery Township Saturday morning, just days after another bear was tranquilized in nearby Whitpain Township.

It marks the two latest instances of bear sightings this spring in what has become an unusually common ocurrence in the Philadelphia suburbs.

Like the Whitpain bear, the Montgomery Township bear was relocated to a safer and wilder location by the Pennsylvania Game Commission.

Police said the bear Saturday was found at around 9:30 a.m

It had been sighted on Friday near Route 202 and Bethlehem Pike, and the 3000 block of Avenel Boulevard, near Dekalb Pike.

Officers said Friday they checked the area after the sightings, but the bear was not found until Saturday.

Black bears are native to all of Pennsylvania, but generally avoid densely populated human habitations around the southeastern part of the state.

Increased bear sightings could have several potential causes, wildlife experts say, including severe and inconsistent climate patterns triggering earlier ends to hibernation. Increased developments in traditional habitats also crowd bears out, forcing them to move into territories they previously avoided. Most of all, bears are also attracted to human garbage and waste, and officials urge residents to be mindful of leaving pet food and trash outside.