Bear Spotted Roaming Lower Bucks County

LOWER BUCKS COUNTY, PA —Another bear has been spotted in Bucks County.

Two weeks after a bear was reported in Upper Makefield Township and along the Delaware River Canal and then later captured, another bear is making its way to Lower Bucks County with reports of it in Warminster and Lower Southampton Township Wednesday morning.

Warminster Township Police responded to the 1200 block of Mearns Road just after midnight Wednesday for the report of a black bear.

Police said that anyone who sees the bear should call 911 immediately.

Meanwhile, the Trevose Fire Company reported Wednesday morning that a bear was spotted roaming the area. The fire company instructed Lower Southampton Township residents to watch their children and pets.

Fire officials also urged residents who spot the bear to not approach it and call 911 immediately.

Jen Gill, the manager of D.A.'s Auto Body & Repair in Feasterville, posted a picture she saw that a resident shot of the bear roaming a street.

"To everyone in the Feasterville area, please be careful," she said, adding that the bear was spotted on Elmwood Avenue, Myrtle, and Woodbine roads.

"I heard it's been running rampant through a neighborhood," Gill said. "He looks scared, the poor guy. I've lived here for 30 years and have never seen a bear here that I can remember. Just at the Poconos."

The Feasterville Fire Company said the bear is in the area of Brownsville and Elmwood.

The company said residents should not try to feed, pet, or approach the bear in any way. The PA Gaming Commission is searching for the bear to capture it safely. Fire officials said residents should call the non-emergency line at 215-355-1234 to report it so authorities can make sure the bear is found safely.

The first bear sighting prompted Yardley Borough to put out an advisory from the borough's animal control officer offering tips and alerts.

The bear sighting was reported in Upper Makefield Township in the Lurgan Road area of the township. It was later captured in Newtown.

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

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. 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.