Bear 'Might' Be In Schuylkill Township Area, Police Say

SCHUYLKILL TOWNSHIP, PA — Police in Schuylkill Township say that a bear may be in the area after large paw prints were found in a stretch of mud just off East Anderson Avenue.

Police shared the photos above to their Facebook page and notified the public to be on the lookout.

They added that one resident reported his trash can was "scratched up" and that he heard "noises in the night," suggesting that the bear was attempting to get into his garbage can.

Though they're not commonly sighted in the most populated urban and suburban areas, black bears have always been in southeastern Pennsylvania and can be found throughout the Mid-Atlantic region.

Sightings in the Schuylkill-Phoenixville area occurred as recently as last year, when a resident captured an image of a bear moving through a nearby yard.

Separate sightings attracted attention in 2016 in Wissahickon Valley Park in Philadelphia, and in Tredyffrin Township.

Police added that there was evidence the paw prints could just belong to a large dog.

The National Park Service offers the following tips for what to do if you see a black bear:

• Remain watchful.
• Do not approach it
• Do not allow the bear to approach you.
• If your presence causes the bear to change its 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.
• If a bear persistently follows or approaches you, without vocalizing, or paw swatting:
  • Change your direction.
  • If the bear continues to follow you, stand your ground.
  • If the bear gets closer, talk loudly or shout at it.
  • Act aggressively to intimidate the bear.

Images via Schuylkill Township Police and Patch file photo