Janet Dick caught a bear eating from a bird feeder at her home on Woodlawn Road in Cranberry Township on Tuesday.

CRANBERRY TWP — Every morning, Janet Dick and her husband, Harry, sit on the back porch of their Woodlawn Road home and watch birds come and go from the feeders in the yard.

Around 8:15 a.m. Tuesday, as Janet and her granddaughter were running a little behind leaving the house, they spotted a surprise guest helping itself to a feeder: a bear.

“I thought she was joking,” Dick said of her granddaughter's report of the furry breakfast guest.

Unsure of who to contact, Janet Dick started taking photos through the window. Harry Dick yelled at the bear in an effort to scare it away. Instead, the bear, standing upright, simply looked at him in awe of the commotion. A few loud claps finally sent the bear scurrying back into the woods.

Janet Dick said a rumor around the neighborhood indicated that a bear had been spotted in recent weeks, but her husband didn't believe it. He thought, perhaps, it was a large dog or other animal as the area often is a stop for deer, turkeys and other wildlife.

“After this morning, he's a believer now,” she joked.

According to Chip Brunst, information and education supervisor with the state Game Commission, the peak of mating season for bears ended earlier this month.Just before that, mother bears kicked out their 18-month old cubs from the pack, leaving them to fend for themselves for the first time. In addition to searching for a place to call home, the cubs also are on the hunt for a food source, foraging and scavenging for a meal. Brunst said when they come across larger bird feeders, they are more apt to stick around a particular area longer.“They think they found heaven,” he said.Because of that, Brunst said removing bird feeders and other potential food sources is key. Outside pets should be fed in the morning, and garbage cans should be kept in a building. Additionally, he said grills should be cleaned after each use to eliminate food smells.Brunst said there can be confusion when game officers are called to a residence for a report of bears.If it is a persistent problem, they can advise the resident to cease and desist using such items as bird feeders because while it may not be the intention, the feeders actively provide a food source for bears. It is illegal to feed bears in Pennsylvania, he noted.“It's now become where they are feeding bears,” he said.

Photo taken Tuesday by Janet Dick shows a bear eating from a bird feeder at her home on Woodlawn Road in Cranberry Township.