Bear seen near soccer fields in South Whitehall Township captured, relocated

It was a bear-y eventful morning for police officers in South Whitehall Township, Pennsylvania.

The department posted on Facebook Tuesday that a bear was seen roaming around the Lehigh County soccer fields early in the morning.

Officers coordinated with wildlife officials to "safely and humanely" catch the black bear, load him into a transport trap and relocate the animal to a "much more suitable, wooded habitat far away from our sports complexes," police said.

No first responders — or bears — were harmed during the capture.

There have been a number of bear sightings in residential areas across the Delaware Valley recently. On May 18, a bear was spotted near The College of New Jersey campus in Ewing Township, and last month, a bear was caught on security cameras poking around homes in West Vincent Township, Chester County.

The possibility of encountering a bear is rising as more humans move and travel into areas where they live. Black bears typically prefer to avoid people, but will defend themselves if threatened, according to Bearwise.org. If you come across a black bear, move away slowly and quietly, but if one approaches you, wildlife experts say to make yourself large and make loud noises while continuing to back away.