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Black bear spotted in multiple places

3 min read
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An energetic yearling black bear, which would be considered a toddler in human years, was spotted darting across Route 519 and lumbering along the railroad tracks near Wilson Road in Eighty Four.

North Strabane Township police were notified of two bear sightings Friday morning, and the southwest branch of the state Game Commission fielded a few calls since last week. Breeding patterns and descriptions indicate the bear is about one-and-a-half years old, according to Tom Fazi, information and education supervisor for the local Game Commission.

While a yearling can be mistaken for a black Labrador retriever at quick glance, Fazi described it as a “smaller, lankier-looking bear – not the big, rotund, bruiser type.” Yearlings can weigh between 60 and 150 pounds.

Every two years, bear sightings become more common between April and June. That’s because female bears breed on two-year cycles, and during that time, the yearlings are forced to become fully independent. Also, faced with a scarce food supply in spring, the yearlings begin wandering on their own.

“It sounds like the same bear just moving around,” Fazi said of the sightings. “This time of year, the female bears are kicking their one-and-a-half-year-old bears out on their own.”

The yearling spotted in Eighty Four is most likely a male because the females, despite being independent, tend to stay closer to their mothers. The males tend to travel farther to get away from their mothers and sisters.

“That’s just Mother Nature’s way of trying to prevent inbreeding in the population,” Fazi said.

And thanks to Mother Nature, that bear was driven into a residential area of Eighty Four. That isn’t necessarily a problem, though, as long as local residents ensure they’re not inadvertently feeding the bears, Fazi said. Residents in the area are advised to remove any bird feeders and keep garbage in a secure spot until the bear moves to a new location.

The Game Commission would set a trap only if the bear is spotted in the area several days in a row.

“Unless this bear stays in one spot, we don’t need people to call us just because they see it,” he said.

Four bears were spotted in Fredericktown last November, and some wreaked havoc on residential properties. One adult bear entered an open garage, knocked over a barrel of corn and went through garbage.

State Farm issued a news release about insurance, detailing what is covered in the event of property damage caused by bears.

A standard homeowner’s policy typically covers damage to the exterior and interior of a home, which would include torn siding, shattered windows or doors or damaged furniture, if a bear finds its way inside. Vehicles also are typically covered for damage under comprehensive coverage, but not if a driver has only liability or collision coverage.

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