Black Bear Roaming Chester County Neighborhood

CHESTER COUNTY, PA — A black bear was spotted wandering around a neighborhood in suburban Chester County this week, according to news reports and numerous social media accounts, sparking concern from some residents.

The bear was seen in Guthriesville in East Brandywine Township and was caught on security cameras rummaging through garbage, 6ABC reports.

On social media, numerous residents reported sighting the bear on several different streets.

It comes just days after several bear sightings were reported not far away in the West Pottsgrove area

"There is a black bear running around the township," West Pottsgrove shared on Friday. "Multiple sightings- last seen in the area of Sylvan Drive near the elementary school."

The PA Game Commission has been notified of the incidents.

Black bears can travel up to 40 miles a day, though it's not yet clear if it's the same bear.

Black bears are native to Pennsylvania and Chester County is part of their natural habitat. Sightings occur every year in suburban areas — and they've even been spotted in recent years in wooded parts of Philadelphia — though bears are far less likely to spend time in populated places.

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.