Black bear spotted in South Union Township
The buzz in South Union Township is not a bee, though frankly, residents may prefer that to being startled by the black bear that’s taken to roaming the township.
“It’s a constant occurrence,” said South Union Township Supervisor Jason Scott. “We’ll get calls for a week straight, then nothing for two weeks, then they’ll see it in another neighborhood.”
One of the more recent social media posting about the bear noted it was in the area of Mayflower Drive.
Brooke Hargenrader, a state game warden for southern Fayette County, was made aware of the township’s traveling bear a few weeks ago, after receiving a report that it was spotted around a South Union apartment complex.
Still, Hargenrader said, the bear isn’t cause for alarm.
“They’re not there for (homeowners), their pets or their kids,” she said, adding that black bears in Fayette County are generally pretty timid. “They’re just there for trash and an easy food source.”
Typically, bear sightings are reported in residential areas around this time of year because they are coming out of their winter hibernation, the game warden noted. However, because black bears have a largely vegetarian diet, their preferred menu isn’t always available until spring’s blooms crop up. So, she said, they venture out to find something to eat.
“Unfortunately, with humans, that easy food source comes with our trash,” Hargenrader said, adding that the bears will rummage through it and eat “anything they can get their paws on.”
Deterrents, like pouring bleach and ammonia on dumpsters and garbage, will help to keep black bears away, she said.
While trapping is used as a last resort, a couple of weeks ago, Hargenrader tried catch the township’s black bear. It didn’t take the bait.
“Bears have different personalities,” Hargenrader said. “Some go into the trap, some don’t.”
Hargenrader said repeated phone calls to the game commission aren’t necessary unless a bear makes repeated visits to a location, tries to get into structures or damages garbage cans that have been treated with bleach.
Of course, Hargenrader doesn’t recommend approaching a bear to scare it away, but said that black bears will run away from a loud noises like air horns.
“A few weeks in the future, food will become more abundant, and they’ll move on to a reliable food source,” Hargenrader said.