Grizzly Encounter Sends Weatherman Running For Safety

By Al Novack

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - A newscast in Scranton got an unusual visitor during last night's weather forecast. A group of bears wondered onto the set.

Just before a regular outdoor segment, WNEP's weatherman Kurt Aaron ran for cover when he saw the family of black bears wondering into the wooded area behind him.

Tom Mates, producer at WNEP tells KYW Newsradio Aaron was stunned. "He catches something out of the corner of his eye, he looks over, sees bear cubs and then he looks over his shoulder and sure enough right behind them, near our set, was the mama bear. So, he took off with a bolt, ran inside. Al we heard was a loud clatter and then all of a sudden he's on air shouting that he had to run away from a bear."

Mates isn't sure what attracted the bears, but he has one idea, "the person who does our landscaping here just put up new bird feeders, so you know they're coming out of hibernation. Maybe they're just hungry?"

It's not the first time they've had encounters with wildlife during the segment, "We've had raccoons and a porcupine before. We actually had a skunk invade our newsroom a month or so ago, coming into the backyard. But, this is the first time we've had bears."

No doubt they hope it's the last.

Click here to see video of the grizzly encounter.