Black bear makes Halloween appearance in Lehigh County: 'That was no cat'

LOWER MACUNGIE TWP., Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- The first character to show up at Tracy Fey's home early Halloween morning was not a trick-or-treater.

"We get a lot of deer and fox around there. So, I'm used to catching glimpses of wildlife that I was not privy to at my old residence, but this one definitely took the cake," Fey says.

Her doorbell camera captured the scene of what appears to be an adult black bear weighing at least 200 pounds, walking across her front lawn Tuesday morning.

And there ended up being a bunch of sightings of that bear throughout the day in Lower Macungie.

In fact, photos taken several hours later show that same bear walking around an apartment complex just a few blocks away.

Wildlife officials are not surprised.

"They are searching for food sources that are high in fat to help them gain weight. So that if they do go into hibernation, they have ample energy to sustain them through that," said Dustin Stoner with the Pennsylvania Game Commission.

Despite that, Fey says she has to admit that she didn't see this one coming.

"I usually don't check my camera that often," she says, "but I will when I see a little icon pops up, and it says, you know, animal scene. It's usually a squirrel or something fun like that. A neighbor's cat. So, I thought that would be fun. But that was no cat."

As news spread about this unexpected Halloween visitor, there was concern about him showing up after nightfall while the local kids were trick-or-treating.

Fey says parents in this quiet community were on the lookout, but it seems the wayward bear moved on to greener pastures.

"I'm glad a story like this, that is nothing too heavy or serious, is taking a little more precedent. It's nice to see a lighthearted story," she says.

Officials from the Pennsylvania Game Commission are taking this opportunity to remind everyone that if you see a bear, do not approach it. Go inside and call 911.

They may be cute, but they are very strong and very hungry, which makes them very dangerous.