Moon Police Chief Leo McCarthy called it "extremely unusual"—a 300 to 350-pound bear running through one of Moon Township's busiest shopping centers.
Customers shopping at Moon Plaza spotted a black bear running through the Giant Eagle parking lot at 5:30 p.m. Sunday afternoon.
A resident also reported a bear sighting just after 9 a.m. Monday near Flaugherty Run Road.
"It's not the first time (a bear has been seen in Moon) but, this is my 37th year working for the township and we've had maybe three bear sightings in that time," McCarthy said.
"I always thought they hibernated in the winter, but we had a warm spell," he said.
The bear was seen Sunday running toward Robert Morris University's campus, and was then spotted an hour later near the Mooncrest neighborhood off Old Thorn Run Road.
McCarthy, who issued a SwiftReach Alert call to residents Sunday night, said the Pennsylvania Game Commission was contacted Sunday evening.
"If they find the bear, they'll dart it," McCarthy said. "If it is endangering someone, then we'll kill it. But that typically doesn't happen."
Dispatcher David Novak said residents are advised to call the Moon Police dispatch line at 412.262.5000 if they spot the bear.
"(Bears) can travel 50 miles in a day," Novak said. "Just stay away from it. Don't get close to it. Don't try to feed it."
Novak said the animal did not approach customers shopping in the plaza.
"He kind of just passed through," he said.
A manager at Giant Eagle in Moon declined to comment on the bear sighting.
Residents in Cranberry and Shaler townships reported a number of bear sightings in shopping areas late last year.
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This post was first published at 7:30 p.m. Sunday.
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