Bear seen roaming around Chester County, Pa. neighborhood

GUTHRIESVILLE, Pa. (WPVI) -- People living in one Chester County community say a bear roamed through their yards and rummaged through their garbage on Monday morning.

The neighborhood visitor was first spotted Monday around 1:30 a.m., when Gina Amann's dog started barking.

"Then the Ring camera went off, and I saw the bear walking across the front yard," Amann said. "It was kind of surreal, actually."

Beth Smith, who lives up the road from Amann on Elmwood Drive in Guthriesville, said her Ring camera captured the animal outside her home around the same time.

Hours later, she found the animal's paw prints on her driveway.

"The bear seemed to come down and walk across our driveway, and then it proceeded to come over here to our garbage," Smith showed Action News during an interview on Monday evening. "And it got into our trash and knocked it over... and then it rubbed against the house."

Ben Punch, who lives on the same street, said he is pretty certain he first saw the animal around 8 p.m. Sunday.

"I didn't know I saw him when I saw him," Punch said. "It was such a brief reaction when you get out of the car, you turn around, and see something moving and bolting down the fence line."

On Monday, Punch called officials in East Brandywine Township and the Pennsylvania Game Commission.

"When I spoke to Officer Yocum at the game commission, he told me it's very rare to get any kind of bear activity in northern Chester County," Punch said.

According to state officials, bears occupy over three-quarters of Pennsylvania.

Sightings have been confirmed in every single county. But, the Pennsylvania Game Commission said that because the southeastern corner of the state lacks sufficient forest habitats, bears seen here are mostly transient.

But for neighbors like 10-year-old Autumn Punch, the sighting was still scary.

"I got back from my bus and my neighbor's dad was showing my mom the video of the bear on the neighborhood chat," she said. "I feel scared because bears don't really come around here that much."

The Game Commission says in order to keep bears off your property, put away any bird feeders, secure your trash, and feed your pets inside.