The Times Herald (Norristown, PA)
Bear spotted in Limerick neighborhood
LIMERICK >> A bear has been sighted prowling Limerick neighborhoods.
On Wednesday, Limerick Township posted a notification on its Facebook page, that the most recent sighting was near Montella Circle off Fruitville Road.
“The Pennsylvania Game Commission is aware of the sightings and they are monitoring the situation. They have advised us that additional sightings can be reported via their central dispatch phone number of 610926-3136,” the township posted.
“There is no cause for alarm as bears will often wander seeking a comfortable habitat. The game commission suggested that residents not feed any dogs, cats and birds via the outdoor placement of food. Also, refrain from placing your trash out several days in advance due to the appealing scent,” the township advised, adding “but also be sure to keep your distance if you spot the animal.”
The township also posted a video from the Pennsylvania Game Commission on bear habits, what attracts them to residential areas and how to avoid doing that.
In the video, Game Warden Harold Cole said bears are most often attracted to homes “by some kind of food source,” usually things such as bird feeders, garbage cans, compost piles, burning barrels, pet food outside and small livestock, such as chickens.
“Even though you may have only one of these or two of these at your house, it all adds up when you look at what else is in the neighborhood,” Cole said. “The more often bears come to houses and get free food, the more comfortable they get. Therefore they get less fearful of humans, and they actually start coming into houses because it’s a common food source for them.”
Although the game commission will often trap and relocate any bear spending too much time around homes, it is not the longterm solution, Cole said in the video.
“If the food source remains, it’s only a matter of time before another bear finds the food source and we’re right back where we started from,” he said.
Rather, the long-term solution, said Cole, is to “remove all food sources and anything the wildlife thinks might be food.” In addition to keeping bears from congregating near people and preventing disease among the animals, “it also helps reduce the habituation and helps to keep them wild.”
Go to pgc.pa.gov for more information about the game commission and keeping wildlife wild.