Bear Spotted Across Montgomery County Captured By PA Game Commission

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, PA — The bear spotted in multiple locations across Montgomery County this week was captured by the Pennsylvania Game Commission on Wednesday night, authorities confirmed.

Both the Upper Moreland and Hatboro police departments provided assistance to game officials.

The bear was seen in the early morning hours Wednesday near Farmstead Park in Upper Moreland Township, along the area of 2688 Byberry Road.

Police gathered surveillance footage of the bear and were able to track its progress. They said that tips from the public were crucial.

"With your help, we were able to visually confirm that there was, in fact, a bear, and its direction of travel," Upper Moreland police said in a statement. "The Pennsylvania Game Commission was given all of your tips, photos and video."

The bear was spotted again around 7 p.m. near the Hatboro Cemetery.

Related: Black Bear Spotted Near Montco Park

Game Commission officials captured the bear at about 11 p.m. The future of the bear is not yet clear. Sometimes bears known to wander into residential areas are euthanized, other times they are relocated.

The capture comes just a day after a black bear was spotted some 15 miles away in Upper Makefield Township in Bucks County.

Black bears are native to all of Pennsylvania, but sightings are typically rare in the densely populated suburban Philadelphia region. As development spreads into other parts of the state and resources dwindle, it becomes increasingly likely that they will wander outside of their typical habitats, wildlife experts say. Further, bears can become reliant on trash as a food source in suburban areas, creating "problem behavior" over time.