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Black bear spotted in Mount Carmel
Published: July 3, 2009
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Justin Strawser/Staff Photo A black bear left tracks as it wandered through Mount Carmel Thursday evening. The bear was last seen in a wooded area between the borough and the Strong connector. Police remind residents bears are wild animals and should not be approached.
MOUNT CARMEL - A black bear caused chaos in the borough for 30 minutes Thursday night, according to the Mount Carmel Police Department.
According to Patrolman Kevin Katch, police were dispatched at 7:19 p.m. to Sixth and Locust streets where people saw the animal.
The bear was seen eating at Fourth and Peach streets.
It then headed to Fifth and Peach streets, where it wandered through residents' yards, and climbed several fences on its journey.
From Fourth Street, the bear entered the town park on Market Street, where it was seen defecating by several witnesses in the grass.
"I saw it crossing the alley behind the church," said Jenna Fallat, 14, of Mount Carmel, as she sat in the park with her friends.
She pointed toward the alley and said she and her friends followed it when it left the park and headed down Market Street.
"I thought it was a big dog," said Charles Frederick, 17, of Natalie.
He realized it was a bear when the police arrived to follow it, he said.
Some people jumped in the car and ran away, he said, but he ran after the bear, wanting to see where it was headed. Police told him to leave the bear alone, which he did.
"People don't understand this was not a bear behind wires at a zoo," said Katch. "It's a wild animal."
He said the amount of people and activity made it much harder to corral the bear out of the borough.
"It was crazy," he added.
From Market Street, the bear traveled to Cherry Street, then to Avenue, and jumped into the creek bed, where it continued on under the viaduct.
Using bean bag ammunition, the police followed the animal out of town. It was last seen scampering up a bank in the direction of the Strong connector.
Katch estimated it was 200 to 250 pounds and about three feet high.
"It was not overly large," he said, "but big enough to cause chaos."
The whole chase lasted 32 minutes.
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