Bear Sighting Reported In Upper Makefield: Police

UPPER MAKEFIELD, PA — Another bear sighting has been reported in Upper Makefield, this one in the Lurgan Road area of the township.

“We live in a beautiful area surrounded by nature,” posted the Upper Makefield Police on Facebook after receiving images of a bear captured on video foraging in the woods. “Bears do reside in the township and need to be respected. No reason to fear, and we hope you enjoy all that Mother Nature has to offer Upper Makefield.”

These photos of a black bear were shared with Upper Makefield Police by a resident on Lurgan Road whose camera captured him foraging through the area Monday afternoon.

Here are some information and tips from the Pennsylvania Game Commission on living with black bears:

Living with Black Bears

Pennsylvania's bear population has been increasing for decades, and at the same time, many people have moved into the areas where bears reside. As a result, bears and people are coming into contact more than ever. Most of these encounters occur when bears learn that there is easy-to-obtain food where people live. Learning about bears and being aware of their habits is important for people who live in bear country, which includes most of the state.

Ursus americanus is the black bear's scientific name; it means "American bear." Although three species of bears inhabit North America, only the black bear is found in Pennsylvania. A population estimate in 2015 showed approximately 20,000 bears living in the Commonwealth. Black bears appear heavy, but are surprisingly agile; they can run up to 35 miles per hour, climb trees and swim well. They may live up to 25 years in the wild.

Black bears are intelligent and curious. Studies show that bears can see colors, recognize human forms, and notice even the slightest movement. Bears usually rely on their acute sense of smell and, to a lesser degree, hearing, to locate food and danger. Despite their common name, black bears are not always black. They may be cinnamon or, even rarer, blond. Many bears have a white blaze or "V" on their chest.

Adults usually weigh around 200 pounds, with males being heavier than females, often more than twice as much. Some weigh up to 600 or more pounds and rare individuals up to 900. Males are called boars; females, sows. Black bears measure about three feet high when on all fours or about five to seven feet tall when standing upright.

Black bear tracks are distinctive. The hind footprint resembles a human's. Bears have five toes. The front foot is shorter than the rear, which is long and narrow. Claw marks may or may not be visible.

Bears use trails, just like people do. Look for tracks in soft earth or around mud puddles, and for claw marks on smooth-bark trees or rotten logs that have been ripped apart for insects. It's also easy to recognize a black bear's sizeable droppings of partly digested berries, vegetation, corn, or animal hair.

Adult black bears make various sounds, including woofing, growling, and jaw-popping. Sows communicate with their cubs by using low grunts or huffs. Cubs whimper, chuckle, and bawl.

In Pennsylvania, bears mate primarily from early June to mid-July. Males are very aggressive towards each other at this time. Sows give birth in January to litters of one to five. The newborn cubs are blind, toothless, and covered with short, fine hair that seems to inadequately cover their pink skin. Cubs begin nursing immediately after birth and are groomed and cared for daily by the sow. Nurtured with the sow's rich milk, they grow from as light as 10 ounces at birth to as much as 10 pounds by the time they leave the den in early April. Males do not help rear young.

Bears may be on the move at any time but are most active at dusk and dawn. Bears are omnivorous, eating almost anything, from berries, corn, acorns, beechnuts, and even grass, to table scraps, carrion, honey, and insects. During late summer and fall, black bears fatten up for winter hibernation. At this time they may actively feed for up to 20 hours a day, ingesting up to 20,000 calories. Intentionally feeding bears is against the law in Pennsylvania. It is also against the law to put out any feed, for any wildlife, that is causing bears to congregate or habituate to an area.

If You Live In Bear Country

If you live in bear country, you may need to make some accommodations to coexist peacefully with these large animals. Make sure you don't encourage bears to become problem bears by letting potential food sources attract them into residential areas.

Black bears will eat human food, garbage, bird feed, pet foods, fruits from trees or gardens, and livestock feed. They also raid cornfields and beehives. Once bears find easily accessible food sources, whether on a farm or in a housing development, they will keep coming back as long as
food is available. With every returning trip they slowly lose their fear of people, which can lead to bolder attempts at accessing food, and as time spent near people increases, so does the risk of being struck by a vehicle or becoming a more serious nuisance. The best way to get rid of
these unwanted visitors is to remove or secure food sources. A persistent bear may damage property, increase the risk of human injury, or become an unwanted visitor in other parts of the neighborhood. And, all too often, fed bears become dead bears.

Perhaps the best way to keep bears from being attracted to your home is to keep them from finding food there in the first place. Don't put out your trash until the morning of collection day. Be sure garbage cans are cleaned regularly, with hot water and chlorine bleach. Clean the outdoor grill after every use, and properly dispose of grill grease. Don't dump the grease out back. If you feed birds during summer (and if you're living in bear country, you shouldn't be), you may want to bring all bird feeders, including hummingbird feeders, in at night. Keep the area around your gardens and fruit trees clean, and avoid putting food scraps in compost piles. Store trash, birdseed, and pet food inside a building, garage, or secure shed, and keep the door closed.

If you have pets, bring their food pans inside at night. Bears generally steer clear of chained or penned dogs. Unleashed dogs that approach bears, however, may be injured or killed. If you have a dog in bear country, don't let it roam far from the house, leash it whenever you hike in the woods, and keep it in the house or a kennel at night. It’s also a good practice in bear country to take a quick look outside before letting a dog out into the yard, especially at night.

Placing food out for bears, even if intended for other wildlife, can be particularly troublesome. Because the food is predictably available, bears may visit the area more frequently, speeding up the habituation process. Bears that frequent these areas are also tempted by other food sources in the neighborhood, where they can become a significant nuisance. They may raid bird feeders, clean out dog dishes, kill domestic animals, or rifle through garbage containers. Moreover, feeding congregates bears significantly increases the risk of spreading disease since bears are otherwise mostly solitary animals. Manage, which is a debilitating condition of the skin and fur that can lead to death, is an example of a disease spread by close-animal contact at feeders.

If bears are regularly feeding at a site, encourage your neighbors or community to clean up and close the area. Feeding bears is against the law. It is also against the law to put out any feed, for any wildlife, that is causing bears to congregate or habituate to an area.

Although black bears are generally shy and avoid contact with humans, it's important to remember that bears must be respected for their size and strength. Do not deliberately approach a bear or attempt to entice one closer. Keep your distance. Do everything you can to prevent close encounters and conflicts with bears. Giving a bear food will encourage it to approach other, unsuspecting people, which could then lead to an unpleasant or possibly dangerous encounter, and could lead to the bear having to be destroyed.

What To Do If You Meet A Bear

Bear attacks are extremely rare, especially considering how often people encounter them. In most cases, a bear will detect you first and leave the area long before you'll ever see it. However, if you do meet a bear before it's had time to leave, here are some suggestions. Every bear encounter is different.

Alert the bear — If you see a bear, make some noise to alert the bear of your presence, giving it ample time and space to turn and leave. Avoid being caught up in the excitement of seeing a bear and inadvertently letting the bear get too close before surprising it.

Get back — If you have a close encounter, back away slowly while facing the bear so you always know where the bear is and how it's reacting. Wild bears rarely attack people. Slowly backing away diffuses the situation and gives the bear room to flee.

Stay calm — encountering a bear can be startling, but try to remain calm. While moving away, avoid sudden movements and talk to help the bear keep track of your retreat. Don’t turn and run or attempt to climb a tree. Running may prompt the bear to give chase, and climbing a tree could be interpreted as a threat to any cubs that are present since cubs often climb trees when startled. Move toward your camper, house, or vehicle if nearby.

Pay attention — Bears will use all of their senses to figure out what you are. If they recognize you as a person, some may stand upright or move closer in their efforts to detect odors in the air currents. Don't consider this a sign of aggression. Once a bear identifies you, it will usually leave. If it begins to slowly approach you, face the bear, wave your arms wildly, and shout while continuing to back away. The idea is to intimidate the bear into retreating. Swing a stick, your backpack, or whatever is handy if the bear gets close.

If suddenly surprised, some bears may feel threatened and give warning signs that they are uncomfortable. They may clack their jaws together or sway their head; those are signs for you to leave. Some bears have been known to charge to within a few feet when threatened. If this occurs, wave your arms wildly and shout at the bear.

Fight back — Black bear attacks are extremely rare. If a black bear attacks, fight back. Bears have been driven away when people have fought back with rocks, sticks, binoculars, and even their bare hands.

The Pennsylvania Game Commission is responsible for managing, conserving, and protecting all wildlife, and is committed to doing everything possible to keep bear conflicts to a minimum. Regulating harvest to stabilize or reduce bear numbers in problem areas and prohibiting the feeding of bears are measures taken to help alleviate conflicts with bears. If you are having a problem with a bear and have no success using these suggestions, or have been threatened by a bear, please contact the appropriate Game ll Commission region office.