Black Bear Seen Wandering Down Howard County Road, DNR Reminds Residents To Stay Safe

HOWARD COUNTY, MD — A black bear has been spotted roaming around neighborhoods in Howard County, Catonsville and Windsor Mill recently, prompting reminders from the DNR.

Black bears emerge from their hibernation in the spring in search of food, and breed in June and July. Young male bears tend to wander into new areas looking for a chance to establish their own territory and can be seen in urban areas.

Howard County resident Charles Mauzy shared with WJZ a cellphone video of a black bear in Laurel meandering across lanes of traffic. Black bears were spotted Friday in Catonsville and Windor Mill, too. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources told WJZ such bear sightings are on the rise.

"Basically, it was running down the road right there on Snowden River Parkway," Mauzy said. "I look up and I see a bear running across the road and I'm like, 'man you don't see that every day.' It looked like he had been running for a long time, so he had probably been getting yelled at all morning."

Maryland DNR officials say while bear sightings in residential areas aren't uncommon but don't happen all that often. Still, residents need to use caution.

"Generally black bears are docile," Brian Eyler, associate director of the Maryland DNR, told WJZ. "They are not aggressive. We're not talking about a grizzly bear - just slowly move away. Just be calm and be steady. The bear doesn't want anymore to do with us than we want to do with the bear."

Black bears are naturally attracted to items found on or near a home such as birdseed, chicken feed, dog food and even trash. Homeowners who leave human-generated food sources out in the open may unintentionally draw bears to residential areas, and once a black bear finds an easy meal, they are likely to be repeat visitors, the DNR advises.

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources recommends that residents and visitors of Maryland’s bear country:

• Remove backyard bird feeders from April through November (birds have plenty of wild food sources during this time);
• Lock garbage in a bear-proof trash bin or store trash containers in a locked garage or shed until the morning of trash pickup; rinse out trash containers with ammonia to eliminate odors;
• Store pet food and bowls inside;
• Keep grills clean and clear of food residue and when not in use store them inside when possible.

“Keeping bears wild is a community effort that benefits both the bears and their human neighbors alike,” said Wildlife and Heritage Acting Director Karina Stonesifer. “Using care to avoid attracting bears now will help keep them wild and in the woods throughout the year.”

Bears are most common in Maryland’s four westernmost counties – Allegany, Frederick, Garrett, and Washington. However, they can be found anywhere in central and southern Maryland.

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources recently partnered with BearWise, a non-governmental organization dedicated to providing the public with sound, relevant and easily interpretable information on black bears. For more information about living with black bears and bear behavior, residents should visit the Maryland Department of Natural Resources black bear website or BearWise.