More Black Bear Sightings In Chester County

WEST CHESTER, PA — Black bears have been sighted on numerous occasions over the weekend around Chester County, authorities said.

Multiple sightings were reported in East Goshen Township on Friday and Saturday, particularly near Wentworth Estates and Bow Tree Developments, local police said.

Westtown-East Goshen Regional police are investigating.

It comes amid an unusually high number of bear sightings in the region this spring, with bears seen in the past month in West Vincent Township, Whitpain Township, Montgomery Township, and parts of Bucks County.

The Pennsylvania Game Commission is assisting local police.

"Avoid leaving food, coolers, or scented items outside," police advised. "Be careful letting pets outside unattended, especially late at night."

Black bears are native to Pennsylvania, though they typically avoid dense suburban and urban developments in the southeastern part of the state.

Much like coyotes, suburban sprawl and its attendant impacts have created "problem" bears, or bears that become reliant on human civilization as a food source over time. Humans are not a part of a bear's diet, but things like trash, pet food, bird seed, unclean cooking grilles, and the other scattered and odiferous effluvia of humanity prove quite attractive to bears and their powerful snouts.

Black bears, in fact, they eat a largely vegetarian diet. Nonetheless, their strength should be respected and a dose of fear is healthy. The National Park Service offers the following tips for what to do if you see a black bear:

• Remain watchful.
• Do not approach the bear.
• Do not allow the bear to approach you.
• If your presence causes the bear to change their behavior (stops feeding, changes its travel direction, watches you, etc.) you are too close.
• Being too close may promote aggressive behavior from the bear such as running toward you, making loud noises, or swatting the ground. The bear is demanding more space. Don't run, but slowly back away, watching the bear. Increase the distance between you and the bear. The bear will probably do the same.