Game Commission probes bear attack, urges homeowners to remove food outdoors

Dennis Dusza, director of the state Game Commission Northcentral Region, is urging homeowners to work together to ensure that their properties are not attracting bears.

“It is important to remove all sources of food – whether it is food for wildlife or pets – or unsecured garbage from areas that are accessible to bears,” Dusza said in a news release. “If bears find food in your backyard, they often learn quickly to associate residential areas with food and begin to spend more time in those areas. As encounters between humans and bears increase, so does property damage, and the risk of human injury.”

Dusza said the agency is investigating the incident, reported yesterday, near Barbours, Lycoming County, in which a bear injured a resident in the backyard on May 12.

“From preliminary reports, it appears that the homeowner was letting the family dog out and taking down the bird feeders when the dog went after the bear,” Dusza said. “Both the homeowner and the dog were injured in the incident. The dog had to be euthanized due to the extent of it’s injuries. Wildlife Conservation Officer Jon Wyant has set a trap and continues to investigate the incident.”

More information on bears is available on the agency’s website (www.pgc.state.pa.us) by looking in the “Hunting” section, then clicking on the photograph of the black bear,