A sighting this weekend and a warning from police are reminders that while the outdoors can seem silent and peaceful, we sometimes have unexpected, unnoticed company.

Butler Township police warned residents that a bear was spotted Sunday, May 26, in the Meridian area, on Winterwood Drive. A caller reported the bear and police sent out a notice reminding people to avoid bears if they see them when outside and to take basic precautions like not leaving trash cans out.

It shouldn’t be surprising that many of the same things that make living in suburban and rural areas attractive for people — plenty of greenery, fewer people and vehicles, less noise — are also quite attractive to animals. And in Pennsylvania, that includes black bears.

In a 2021 article published in the Allegheny Front, Emily Carrallo, a black bear biologist with the Pennsylvania Game Commission, explained that since the 1970s, the state’s bear population has rebounded.

“There’s plenty of food,” she said. “There’s plenty of land. There’s plenty of resources for them. That’s really why we have so many bears, and it’s why we have really big bears.”

Overall, the increasing bear population is good news, but as people and bears come into contact more and more, trouble can ensue.

That was made clear in early March when a Butler Township woman was attacked in her backyard by a bear. The woman’s dog spotted three bear cubs and was barking at them when the mother bear attacked.

The woman sustained serious injuries, and a game warden euthanized the mother bear.

As Dan Schmidt, an information and education specialist with the state game commission, pointed out, bears don’t want to encounter a person any more than a person wants to encounter a bear.

“Just like any wildlife, people should take their distance,” Schmidt said. “They don't want anything to do with you. They want our garbage, our food, but they really don't want to bother you.”

That’s something to remember when you’re enjoying the peace and quiet of nature and see a bear.

— JK