Resident captures startling footage of large, unexpected visitor rummaging through trash: 'It was kind of surreal'
A Pennsylvania homeowner's Ring camera captured terrifying footage of a massive black bear rummaging through the trash at several homes, sparking concern among residents.
As WPVI reported, residents of a neighborhood in Chester County said they spotted a bear wandering through the streets and sniffing around people's trash bins in early May.
Resident Gina Amann was alerted to the unexpected visitor late one night when their dog started barking.
"Then the Ring camera went off, and I saw the bear walking across the front yard," Amann said. "It was kind of surreal, actually."
Several other homeowners reported seeing pawprints in their driveways, garbage cans knocked over, and a large figure "bolting down the fence line," as resident Ben Punch explained.
The next day, he called the local game commission to report the incident. Officials said: "It's very rare to get any kind of bear activity in northern Chester County."
Officials told 6ABC that around 75% of Pennsylvania has bears, but they're not common in the southeastern corner of the state where the bear in the video was spotted.
Worldwide, more people are reporting sightings of bears near neighborhoods, farmlands, and even busy urban environments, as they seek easily accessible food sources. Several factors are contributing to this concerning trend, including habitat loss, human population growth, and resource shortages resulting from climate change.
As humans encroach on bears' territory, it increases the risk of dangerous human-wildlife conflicts, property damage, and euthanizations if the animals injure people.
Newsweek detailed that in 2022, more than 46,000 incidents involving bears were reported to state agencies, with interactions on the rise in 18 U.S. states. One older woman near Lake Tahoe suffered a fatal attack by a black bear last year, marking the first deadly bear encounter in California.
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Wildlife officials were forced to kill three black bears that had bitten and dragged a Tennessee resident from her porch. Luckily, she walked away unharmed. Black bears have also been spotted on the back porches of Florida homes and roaming around Maryland neighborhoods in search of food.
However, by protecting our shared environment through conservation efforts, we can minimize these unwanted encounters with bears and other large animals, ensuring they can thrive in their natural habitats.
According to 6ABC, the Pennsylvania Game Commission recommends that people feed pets inside, pack away trash, and remove bird feeders to deter bears.
If you see a bear on your property or anywhere close by, keep your distance and make yourself look as large as possible, perhaps by holding a large object or waving your arms to show the animal you're not an easy target.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reintroduced threatened grizzly bears to their native habitats in Montana and Idaho, which will benefit the animals and keep them away from human communities.
In Spain, the local government introduced a method to protect both bears and people, telling locals to call a hotline if they spot a bear. Then, rangers will respond and use nonlethal weapons such as rubber-ball shotguns to encourage them to return home.
If you'd like to help local bear populations, consider participating in habitat restoration efforts with wildlife organizations or donating to charities that support these causes.
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