Bear Wandering Through Arlington: What To Know

ARLINGTON, VA — Virginia officials warn residents to keep their distance from A black bear wandering through Arlington neighborhoods over the weekend is likely a young male and people should give the bear room to move on, experts said.

The bear was first spotted on June 6, with more reports coming in through June 8, the Animal Welfare League of Arlington told WJLA. Multiple bear sightings were reported in the Rivercrest and Bellevue Forest neighborhoods.

Animal experts said the bear is likely searching for a new habitat.

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In mid-May, a juvenile black bear, probably a male, was spotted in the Yorktown area, Chelsea Jones, a spokeswoman with the Animal Welfare League of Arlington told Patch.

Residents should avoid looking for or interacting with bears, she said.

"If you see the bear, please go inside," Jones said. "You may watch him from a safe vantage point indoors, but we are asking people to give him a wide berth. He's been getting spooked a lot today by people and cars. We don't want to cause him to go into an area that would be unsafe for him and for residents."

AWLA recommended that residents bring their trash indoors or make sure that it was secure. Also, residents should bring in any bird feeders and keep pets on a leash, even in your own back yard.

Residents can discourage bears by keeping trash indoors in a shed or garage until the morning of trash pickup.

More Tips To Prevent Attracting Bears

Feeders: Bird feeders and other animal food should not be put out between April and November, the Wildlife Center of Virginia said. Bears are most active during this period and natural bird food is plentiful. If you keep feeders out, bring them in before dusk and only put them out when birds are active. Bring all pet food in at night.

Grills, Gardens, and Compost Piles: Clean grills often. Don’t toss meat scraps into the compost pile.

If a bear has found food in your yard, it will likely return. It will take several failed attempts for the bear to get the message and move on in its search for food. Be persistent, and never feed a bear – intentionally or unintentionally.

Bear sightings can be reported to 703-931-9241. More information about bear safety is available online.