Young Black Bear Seen Roaming Through North Arlington: AWLA

ARLINGTON, VA — A young black bear is making his way across Arlington, with local animal control officials saying he looks healthy.

A bear was spotted in Windy Run Park over the weekend, and the same bear may now be roaming through backyards in the Leeway Overlee neighborhood in North Arlington, ARLnow reported Tuesday.

The Animal Welfare League of Arlington emphasized Tuesday that the public should not go out looking for the bear.

“This kind of behavior can put yourself and the bear in potentially dangerous situations,” AWLA said. “If you spot him in your neighborhood or on your property, please stay inside. We also recommend keeping pets inside unless supervised, taking down your bird feeders and securing trash or bringing it indoors.”

Early Tuesday morning, residents reported seeing a young black bear walking across N. Ohio Street near Nottingham Elementary School.

About a year ago, a young black bear was spotted in Arlington’s Maywood community, walking through people’s yards and onto porches as it headed to a park on the east side of the neighborhood near the Custis Trail.

Bear sightings can be reported to AWLA’s Animal Control team at 703-931-9241.

According to the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, black bears have a natural distrust of humans, are shy, and usually avoid people. However, bears may be attracted to food sources in residential areas and, over time, may become more comfortable around people.

"Often a bear in your yard is just passing through and, if it finds no food, will simply move on," the DWR says. "Don’t allow the bear to feel comfortable in your yard. After ensuring the bear has an escape route, make lots of noise to encourage it to leave."

Bears need personal space, so always give them an escape route. Never get between a sow and her cubs. And it's very important to never run from a bear because it will want to chase you.

Black bears in Virginia feed mainly on berries and fruits, nuts, grasses and insects. Their diet is approximately 75 percent vegetarian.

AWLA urges residents to follow recommendations from the DWR:

• Keep garbage in a locked shed or inside until collected, or use a bear resistant container.
• Secure any compost piles.
• Secure pet food in bear-resistant containers or inside locked sheds.
• Clean up porches/decks. Clean grills including drip pans, remove any potential food sources, and remember a screened in porch is not a “secure” storage area from a bear’s point of view.
• Never leave food, trash, or pet food inside your vehicle.
• Keep dogs on a leash at all times.

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