Mangy black bear trapped and treated in Bethel; spread to other bears possible

The Pennsylvania Game Commission trapped and treated a black bear plagued with the contagious skin disease mange in Bethel Township this week.

Mange is transmitted by parasitic mites. The centuries-old disease causes hair loss and sometimes emaciation and death, according to Penn State’s College of Agricultural Studies. However, most bears’ immune systems can fight the parasites off, according to university researchers.

The disease has grown common and severe in Pennsylvania bears in recent years, according to Penn State.

Another bear with mange was photographed in nearby Gilpin Township last week. Although it is not the same bear, mange is highly contagious and could spread to other animals, said Denton Schellhammer, a game commission warden covering Armstrong County.

He examined a photo taken of a mangy bear by a Gilpin resident and compared it to the bear he trapped.

Both townships have healthy bear populations, he said.

Schellhammer set a trap with about three dozen stale doughnuts and easily caught the mangy bear in Bethel. The bear, a 110-pound female, was “mildly emaciated, underweight and suffering from mites for a couple of months,” he said.

Secondary skin infections can develop from mange, which can restrict the bears from eating because they are uncomfortable and can become weak, Schellhammer said.

The Bethel bear was tranquilized as commission wardens examined and treated the animal, which was released about 2 miles away from where she was captured.

If the public spots a bear frequenting their area with mange, they can call the commission’s Southwest Region office for help at 724-238-9523.