A young black bear was spotted near Donaldson Run, the Gulf Branch Trail and Potomac Overlook Regional Park this weekend. Here’s video from ARLnow.
A black bear was spotted in North Arlington on Sunday, continuing a recent streak of bear sightings in the D.C. area.
The video first published by ARLnow shows the bear roaming around near Donaldson Run, the Gulf Branch Trail and Potomac Overlook Regional Park.
This young black bear has been sifting through trash cans and wandering in people's yards -- and he's not the first to start meandering around the DMV this year.
The streak of bear sightings began back on May 8, when a bear wandering through the Brookland neighborhood of D.C. created some buzz. Then, a week later on May 13, what might have been the same bear climbed fences and wandered through yards in Arlington.
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And around the same time last year, another black bear got attention when it pranced through lawns, climbed up trees and ran from animal control in Northeast D.C., after lounging in a tree for a few hours above the 1300 block of Franklin Street.
The timing makes sense, according to wildlife officials: Late spring into early summer is prime time for bear activity to increase.
Juvenile bears typically start to move out on their own during this time of year and go in search of food.
If you see a black bear, remember that it's a wild animal, and stay safe. BearWise has some tips:
- If the bear is in a building or dumpster, give the bear a clear escape route and back away slowly. Do not lock the bear away.
- If the bear is in your backyard, make loud noises by shouting or banging pots and pans together to scare the bear away from a safe distance. Check your yard for bears before letting your dog outside, and remove things that might attract bears like bird seed or pet food.
- If you see a bear in the woods, do not run. Stay still and quiet, and back away slowly in the opposite direction.
We've got more tips from wildlife experts below:
