A black bear has been roaming around Gainesville / haymarket for a few weeks now.
Black bear sightings reported in Prince George's, Howard, Montgomery counties in Maryland There have been several reports of bear sightings in the Washington area in recent months, including in Prince George’s County in Maryland and Fairfax County in Virginia. This is the time of year when mama bears “kick the youngsters out” and the young bears begin to “fend for themselves,” according to Maryland bear biologist Harry Spiker.
Maryland wildlife officials have been tracking a 'navigationally challenged' juvenile black bear through Howard, Montgomery and Prince George's counties in recent weeks. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources has been tracking the bear for about three weeks. It’s been spotted on the College Park campus of the University of Maryland, in a Silver Spring office park and on the back patio of a homeowner in northern Prince George’s County. Wildlife officials said the bear has also tracked through Howard County.
“He tends to keep taking one wrong turn after another. But the most recent turn is a good one. The bear seems to be heading north,” Spiker said. Bears are incredibly mobile and might cover anywhere from a half-mile to 10 miles in a single day. “They can swim well, they can travel over land well, they climb trees well. There’s not a fence that can contain it,” Spiker said.
As the bear continues to roam — hopefully into Western Maryland, West Virginia or Virginia — Spiker said residents should avoid providing it easy food sources that might pull it off course. He tells residents that if a bear is spotted near their home, they should bring in bird feeders and confine trash securely. The bear poses no danger to the public, Spiker said, as long as people keep a safe distance...
