Bear spotted in Kittanning on Fourth of July

A bear was spotted in Kittanning on the 4th of July.

Video on social media showed a bear running across the street near The Meredith Inn restaurant around noon.

Kayla Montgomery spotted the bear and took a quick video of it running across the street.

The Pennsylvania Game Commission estimates there are about 18,000 bears in the state.

Black bear attacks are extremely rare in Pennsylvania but do happen from time to time.

If you encounter a bear here are some tips, though be aware that every encounter is different.

Alert the bear: Make loud noises
Get back: back away slowly if you are near a bear, never taking your eyes off the animal
Stay calm: Don’t make any sudden movements as you back away
Stay alert: Bears will use their senses to detect who you are, if they stand up or move closer to detect orders, once it recognized you’re a human, it will likely leave. If the bear continues to approach you, wave your arms wildly and make loud noises.
Fight back: If a bear does attack you, fight back using “rocks, sticks, binoculars and even their bare hands.”

Featured Image Photo Credit: Kayla Montgomery