A Butler County homeowner got a jolt in the middle of the night when his doorbell camera recorded a massive black bear roaming across his front porch, prompting fresh concern in a neighborhood that is already on alert about bear activity. The video, captured just after 2 a.m., shows the bear quietly padding through a suburban yard. After reviewing the footage, the homeowner removed possible attractants from his property and set about warning his neighbors.
“Holy crud, is that big,” Kevin Cumbridge said when he first watched the clip, as reported by WPXI. The station reports that his Ring doorbell camera recorded the bear near his front porch at about 2:10 a.m. yesterday, and that Cumbridge shared the footage to alert others nearby. He also told the station he took down a bird feeder in hopes of convincing the bear not to make a return visit.
This latest encounter comes on the heels of other black bear incidents in Butler County. In March 2024, a Butler Township resident was attacked on Bellefield Drive, and the adult bear involved was later captured and euthanized, according to the Butler Eagle. That rare attack, along with the subsequent relocations of cubs, has made neighbors far more attentive to warnings from wildlife officials, and local outlets have noted multiple sightings in the area over the last two years.
Why Bears Wander Into Yards and How To Avoid Them
Black bears are opportunistic feeders that often nose their way into neighborhoods in search of easy calories like bird seed, unsecured trash, grills, and pet food, according to the Pennsylvania Game Commission. The commission notes that bears now occupy much of the state and that cutting off those food sources is usually enough to prevent trouble between humans and bears.
Non emergency bear sightings can be reported to the agency’s hotline at 1-833-PGC-WILD, per the Pennsylvania Game Commission, while any immediate threats should be handled through 911.
Neighbors Take Precautions
Cumbridge told WPXI he was surprised to see such a large bear so close to shopping centers and the highway, and is urging neighbors to bring bird feeders and other attractants inside at night. “If it wants to go somewhere, it pretty much does what it wants,” he said, according to the station.
Officials recommend keeping pets indoors after dark and reporting sightings so game wardens can decide whether relocation or other steps are necessary.
