A quiet night in Slippery Rock Township turned wild when a Lawrence County mom checked her security cameras and saw a black bear family treating her yard like a shortcut through the woods. The footage showed a mother bear and four cubs roaming right under a bedroom window, and the family says a separate close call left her husband nearly nose to nose with another bear before it bolted. They have since pulled down bird feeders and are keeping the grandkids indoors while the unexpected visitors move through. It is just the latest in a string of suburban bear run-ins around the Pittsburgh area this month.
According to WPXI, homeowner Susan Zehetner checked her security footage and saw "a mama and her four cubs" strolling through the yard below her bedroom window. She told the station her husband later found himself "face to face with a bear" before it turned and ran. Zehetner said she counted four cubs in the video and was stunned to see them that close to the house. She has taken down bird feeders and is warning neighbors to do the same.
The bear activity is not limited to Lawrence County. Earlier in the week, another black bear was spotted cooling off in North Park Lake, a sighting that prompted Allegheny County Parks officials to remind visitors to keep their distance and leash their pets. Patch reported that the Pennsylvania Game Commission was alerted and is monitoring what is happening at North Park in McCandless Township. Meanwhile, local posts and viewer photos are piling up as bears pop up on porches, back decks, and security cams across the region.
Why sightings spike in early summer
Black bear mating season in Pennsylvania typically runs from early June through mid-July, which sends adults and wandering young bears farther afield and more frequently into neighborhoods and yards. WPXI notes that this seasonal movement likely explains the cluster of bear sightings that have popped up around the Pittsburgh area. Wildlife officials point out that bears usually steer clear of people, but easy meals like bird feeders, overflowing trash cans, and pet food can lure them in closer than anyone would like.
What wildlife officials advise
Allegheny County Parks is urging visitors to admire any bear from a safe distance, keep dogs leashed, and give the animals space to move along, according to the county's North Park page. Allegheny County Parks also notes that staff will keep an eye on conditions while wildlife authorities decide what needs to happen next. The Pennsylvania Game Commission is asking residents to remove food attractants and to report unusual or persistent bear activity to its centralized dispatch, with community coverage and official guidance rounded up in local bear buzz.
For now, most residents are sticking to the basics: hauling in bird feeders, locking down trash, and keeping a closer eye on kids while wildlife officers track the bears moving through the area. If you spot a bear that appears sick, acts aggressively, or keeps returning to yards, officials say you should report it to the Pennsylvania Game Commission's dispatch at 1-833-PGC-WILD.
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