Bear Advisory Issued By Yardley Police Department

YARDLEY, PA —The Yardley Borough Police Department has issued an animal control advisory for a bear sighting along the Delaware River Canal area and is asking residents to call the police or 911 if the bear is spotted.

"The PA Game Commission is aware of the very small, very young bear," Yardley's animal control officer said in a Facebook post on Wednesday. "This is his first year away from mom and is slightly misplaced. They recommend removing bird feeders and all other food from outside. Please PM me if there are any actual sightings. The Game Commission recommends to stand up, wave your arms and yell. They are not naturally aggressive (unless it's a mom and her cubs."

A bear sighting was reported in Upper Makefield Township earlier this week 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.”

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.

Patch Editor Jeff Werner contributed to this report.