Brewster visits black bear den for Pa. game commission study

By JEFF STITT
jstitt@yourmvi.com
State Sen. Jim Brewster, D-McKeesport, and his wife, Linda Brewster, joined biologists from the Pennsylvania Game Commission this month to check on the health of black bears at a den that was formed under a residential deck in Monroe County.
Brewster said the biologists are monitoring the state’s black bear population sizes, studying the survival habits of the bears and how they are affected by the humans around them.
He said the PGC wants to educate the public about bear hibernation and keep hunters apprised of the state’s black bear population.
According to the PGC, Pennsylvania’s bear population has been increasing for decades, and at the same time, many people have moved into the areas where bears reside. As a result, bears and people are coming into contact more than ever. Most of these encounters occur when bears learn that there is easy-to-obtain food where people live.

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