Black Bear Crashed Lehigh University Party

The critter "scared the living daylights out of people."

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College parties have a tendency to get crazy, but things escalated Saturday evening when a 300- 400-pound black bear showed up.

The Associated Press reported yesterday evening via NJ.com that the black bear was spotted in south Bethlehem, Pennsylvania in the wee hours of Sunday morning near Lehigh University’s campus. The bear scared many of the surprised students, prompting tons of emergency calls to area police.

The bear “lumbered close to the party and scared the living daylights out of people,”  Bethlehem police Chief Mark DiLuzio told AP.

Tyler Krieder, a district officer for the Pennsylvania Game Commission, said to AP that the bear was marked as being from New Jersey, but also that bears tend to be good swimmers, so this one could have gotten across the Delaware River and into Pennsylvania. Bethlehem is not far from the river. “The bear wasn’t any threat to anybody,” he said. “It was just looking for somewhere to eat, take a break.”

The situation got an amusing social media following as it unfolded, with #LehighBear becoming a trend on Twitter. The bear reportedly first found its way around Lehigh’s campus near an athletics complex before crossing over into the part of Bethlehem where the party occurred.

The bear was found, tranquilized and removed from the area soon after police were alerted. Discussion is ongoing between Pennsylvania and New Jersey game officials as to where the bear will ultimately be released. But for now, it is doing well in custody.