Bear spotted in Chester County, Pennsylvania, on home surveillance cameras
Some neighbors in western Chester County, Pennsylvania, are on alert after a black bear was spotted roaming through their yards and captured on their home surveillance cameras.
The bear was seen in the Cochranville and Highland Township area on Gum Tree Road and then on Hilton Road, resident Brittany Hoilman said on social media.
Videos provided by Hoilman showed a bear on her property around 3 a.m. Wednesday morning.
"My wife wakes me up at 3 a.m. ... 'There's a bear, there's a bear.' I got my gun ... I was looking up online how to kill a bear, apparently you have to be John Wick," said Ren Hoilman.
Hoilman said the bear made a beeline for the birdfeeder outside the bedroom window at his home on Hilton Road in Cochranville.
"He bent it pretty good and looks like he ate most of the seeds there, so he had a nice little meal," Hoilman said.
The bear then made its way toward the back of the home and onto the patio, and Hoilman was concerned about his 23 chickens in the backyard.
"They're just in a little coop and they have some fencing around it, but he could have easily got in there, but thank God he didn't walk out that way because that would have been an easy lunch for him," Hoilman said.
"Never seen a bear in this area in 19 years that we've been here," said Stephanie Arnoldy.
About three hours later, a bear was also spotted near Arnoldy's home on Woodcrest Road in West Grove.
Her husband snapped photos from the driveway on his way to work.
May 1 to June 15 is the peak season for what the Pennsylvania Game Commission calls "nuisance bear activity," when bears are out looking for food before breeding season.
They might hit some spots where they found food the year prior, and unfortunately, that could be your trash can or recycling bin, bird feeder, garden, grill or smoker, or maybe a bowl of pet food left outdoors.
Bears can smell food from miles away and love the sunflower seeds that are often found in bird feeders, the commission says on its website.
Arnoldy and Hoilman both said they will be keeping an eye out, but they hope the bear has moved on.
"I'm going to for sure keep my dog close by and not take my usual walk probably for a few days," Arnoldy said.
"I'm not taking any chances, I'll be ready for him if he comes back," Hoilman said.
There have been multiple other bear sightings reported in the Philadelphia region, including multiple sightings in West Pottsgrove Township, Montgomery County, last week.
