Early sightings centered around a neighborhood near the Tacoma Fire Company, where the bear was roaming through back yards and drawing attention from curious onlookers.
Near a Wawa down the street, neighbor Robert Hill was surprised it didn’t cool off in his pool.
“Went across our yard here, then went in the back yard,” Hill said. “We have a pool in the back, so we thought he was going to take a dip. … He tried to go over the one fence and stood up, and that’s when you could tell how big they are. He was probably a good 6 foot tall.”
Dazed drivers, like Alexis Maddox, pulled over to get a better view — and maybe a picture or two — of the animal.
“I was driving down the street, and I see all these cars. Then I see this bear. It is walking through their yard. It's hopping on trees. It's hopping from fence to fence,” she said.
“It’s not a baby bear, it was an adult bear,” she described. “The bear was huge. It had to be at least 400 to 500 pounds.”
Deptford Township police have been driving around all morning, trying to keep up with the creature. They say their primary job now is to keep people safe.
Although the bear hasn’t been violent or caused any damage, authorities ask residents to stay in their homes and stay away from the bear.
Meanwhile, Vernon White got a closer — unsolicited — look at it.
“I’m standing here trying to get my cellphone to work and all I can do is get myself on camera, and he started going toward me,” he said, “and I ran for the porch.”
He’s safe now, but it’s a moment he’ll never forget.
“We came here in 1957. Since 1957, there hasn’t been a bear on this street.”