Bucks County screen-printing company memorializes bear sighting with "wanted" T-shirts
FEASTERVILLE, Pa. (CBS) -- Residents in Lower and Upper Southampton Townships are keeping an eye out for a bear after officials say it was last seen Thursday morning.
In Feasterville, all people can talk about is a young black bear that's been spotted on a home surveillance video walking around neighborhoods.
John Kopack is the co-owner of Shirt Gallery, a screen-printing company.
"It's kind of funny that people are all hyped up about the bear," Kopack said.
Kopack is taking that hype and making T-shirts as a way to commemorate the sighting.
"It's your basic old west wanted poster with the depiction of the bear on it and some of its nefarious activities on it," Kopack said.
WANTED THE ELMWOOD BEAR
— Marcella Baietto (@MarcellaBaietto) June 22, 2023
REWARD $5,000 🐻
After officials spotted a bear in Lower Southhampton Township, a local screen printing company decided to make these t-shirts.
We’ll also hear from police on their safety recommendations to neighbors.@CBSPhiladelphia pic.twitter.com/KOYPEeSrsH
Jokes aside, Kopack and other businesses like D.A.'s Auto Body and Repair say safety is still a concern.
"There's a lot of dogs, a lot of kids in that neighborhood and you don't know how bears are going to react," D.A.'s Auto Body & Repair Inc. Office Manager Jen Gill said.
Lower Southampton Township Chief of Police Ted Krimmel said the bear has moved out of the area.
"He might have been sighted headed west along Street Road last night, I just found out so it's probably out of the area in upper Southampton or in Warminster by now," Chief Krimmel said.
We reached out to Upper Southampton Township Police. Officials there tell us the bear was last seen Thursday morning eating out of a neighbor's bird feeder.
Kopack and Gill hope officials can safely capture and release the animal soon.
"That's what I hope for," Gill said. "I know the Game Commission is here and they're hoping to catch and release him which that's great."