Bear herded to cornfield after jaunt through downtown Chambersburg

July 26--CHAMBERSBURG -- A small black bear was reported running through Chambersburg early Friday afternoon.

Chambersburg Police Chief David Arnold said that officers were working with Pennsylvania Game Commission Wildlife Conservation officers to herd the bear out of town, or the game warden would use a dart to subdue him. Around 12:30 p.m., the bear was behind the PennDOT office on Mill Road, and was being closely tracked by conservation officers.

Public Opinion Photographer Markell DeLoatch followed the officers as they tracked the bear.

"They were worried about running it too much in the heat," DeLoatch said. He added that around 1 p.m., "conservation left it in the corn field beside Rutters on Orchard and Main."

He said that when officers left the scene, they had not captured the bear, hoping that when it night fell it would head back into the woods.

The bear was a 80 to 90 pound cub, seen around the south side of Chambersburg and toward Marion.

The bear was seen by residents over by Texas Lunch on Lincoln Way West. Reader Tammy Bowers commented that she saw it swimming through the creek in the area, then walking across the crosswalk.

Just over a year ago, the Public Opinion reported another black bear was found treed on South Main Street. That animal had to be tranquilized to be relocated.

According to the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, the black bear population has increased "substantially" since the 1970s, with around 14,000 around the state today.

Several other readers commented that they had seen bears moving through the South Mountain area, and wondered if this was the same bear that others were seeing near Letterkenny in the last couple days.

In Friday's incident, there were no reported conflicts or injuries with the bear. However, the DCNR warned that isn't always the case.

"Property damage, the likelihood of serious human injury, personnel resources within the Game Commission who respond to conflicts, and public's tolerance for further growth of the bear population have all been impacted by the increase in bears," the website states.

A spokesman for State Farm Insurance, Dave Phillips, offered some suggestions for home and vehicle owners concerned about bears.

"For the most part, a standard homeowners policy would provide coverage for exterior and interior damage done to a home by a bear," Phillips said, adding that it includes things like torn siding, shattered windows or damaged furniture if the bear made it inside a residence. "It could be covered under vandalism or malicious mischief under a homeowner policy."

Phillips also stated that many car insurance policies have similar coverage, with both forms of insurance having applicable deductibles.

If a bear comes around while people are outside and it causes harm, there's also a chance for coverage, unless the police warned community members about the bear's presence and residents were told to stay inside, according to Phillips.

There were several residents and local businesses that were told to stay inside during Friday's incident, and Mill Road was blocked off by Chambersburg Police during the search for the bear.

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