North Buffalo Township woman captures photo of large black bear at her home

Jessica Rock of North Buffalo Township may have another mouth to feed.

A black bear sauntered onto Rock’s deck last Wednesday night, inches away from her door.

The mother of four said that after her dog began barking frantically, she peered out her window and saw a bear eating on her deck.

“He pulled down the feeder and destroyed a bird stand and feeder,” said Rock, who captured a photo of the uninvited guest.

Rock said the bear left after about five minutes when she turned on the outside floodlights.

She isn’t sure if last Wednesday’s visitor was the same bear who stopped by her house last year and did similar damage.

“I’ll have to leave my feeders down now for a week or so,” Rock said. “There’s nothing I can do to deter him.”

Rock said she doesn’t worry about the bear getting into the house.

“I worry about my kids outside,” she said.

The Pennsylvania Game Commission website offers the following tips to help keep bears away:

• Keep garbage cans clean and use hot water and chlorine bleach to eliminate odors.

• Don’t dump grease outside.

• Clean your outdoor grill after each use.

• Avoid putting food scraps in compost piles.

• Store trash, bird seed and pet food inside a secure shed or garage.

• Bring in bird feeders at night.