Pa. game commission debunks bear attack claim in W. Pa.

UNIONTOWN, Pa. (AP) — A Pennsylvania Game Commission supervisor says there’s “no credence” to a report that a southwestern Pennsylvania man was bitten or otherwise attacked by a bear.

Adam Knopsnider’s family told reporters for WPXI-TV and WTAE-TV that he was bitten by the animal when he went outside to investigate a suspicious noise about 9:30 p.m. Tuesday.

But Scott Tomlinson, the game commission’s southwestern region enforcement supervisor, says there were no bear tracks or other evidence the attack occurred as reported in North Union Township, Fayette County. There was evidence the man may have been bitten by a dog during a domestic dispute.

A phone number listed for the family wasn’t in service today.

Tomlinson tells The Associated Press, “There’s no credence to the fact that there was a bear” even in the area about 35 miles south of Pittsburgh.