Perhaps it wanted to check on the status of the road construction near East Road. Or maybe it wanted to pick something out of a nearby trash bin. Or maybe it just wanted to take a casual walk around an empty shopping center parking lot on a warm day.

Whatever the reason – if there was a reason – dozens of Stafford Township shoppers and passersby got a rare glimpse of a black bear roaming around near the Regal movie theater, the site of the former Kmart store and McDonald’s on Route 72 Thursday…