A young black bear has been spotted roaming suburban backyards in part of Arlington County, Virginia, over the past few days, officials said.
In a Facebook post Sunday, the Animal Welfare League of Arlington said it had begun receiving several reported sightings of the juvenile black bear in the Windy Run Park area of the county.
Speaking to WTOP on Tuesday, the league said reports continue to come in about the furry visitor, and they’re asking visitors to help them get the bear headed back to wooded areas where it belongs by not approaching the bear and not attempting to seek the bear out.
Cliff Ballena, sergeant of AWLA, recommends residents keep their pets inside, take down bird feeders and make sure trash is secured or brought indoors.
“If you’re walking with your dog, and you see the bear, keep your dog completely away from it. Make sure it’s not barking toward the bear, because that’s not what we want,” he said. “I know it’s really tempting to see bears … but we definitely don’t want people going and looking for the bear.”
Animal control authorities will be reaching out to community members on how to deal with bears and will be working with the Department of Wildlife Resources should the bear become a safety hazard to the public.
If you spot the bear, you can contact AWLA’s animal control team at 703-931-9241.
Earlier this month, a black bear first spotted in suburban Maryland made its way into Northeast D.C. and climbed a tree — drawing crowds of curious spectators and news crews — before being safely sedated and released back into the wild.
University of Maryland wildlife ecology professor Jennifer Mullinax told WTOP earlier this week now is the time of year when young male black bears start “wandering.”
WTOP’s Mike Murillo contributed to this report.
