Two Bear Sightings Reported in Rockville

Rockville Police say they have received two, unconfirmed reports of a black bear spotted in the 700 block of Owens Street and at Woodley Gardens Park on Friday, Aug. 1, reports Montgomery County Media.

According to police, the bear appeared to be a juvenile, about 100 to 150 pounds, and city officers believe it may be the same bear that was spotted in the Montrose Parkway area for the past month.

If you see the black bear, police ask that you call 240.314.8900 immediately so it can be tracked. You should not approach the bear.

According to a community alert posted on the city’s website, there is no reason to believe the bear poses a threat to residents’ physical safety.

Resident Penelope Wilsker replied on the MCM site that authorities need to take the bear incursions more seriously.

She wrote, in part: “What if someone is walking one of the gazillion dogs on our street and accidentally corners it? I think the bemused attitude of “It’s not aggressive” right in a small park area is a bit naïve. The police refuse to do something unless it’s in a “populated area.” How much more populated than a baseball diamond and children play area do you have to get?”

Among this summer’s bear sightings, the most talked about may have been a young bear perched in a tree on the National Institutes of Health campus in Bethesda last month. Someone created a Twitter account for the bear, posting quips about the NIH, metro transit and science.

As young male bears look for new territories to call home, sightings have popped up across part of Maryland that don’t typically host bears. Four bears were spotted early in June in Ellicott City and Columbia. Later in the month a young bear was rummaging through garbage cans in the Wheaton area, and a bear strolled through downtown Rockville June 19.

Here are some black bear safety tips from the Montgomery Parks website:

Related stories:

Bear Tranquilized, Removed from NIH Campus in Bethesda

Black Bear Sighting in Downtown Rockville

Bear Sightings Reported in Montgomery County

Multiple Bear Sightings Reported in Howard County

»Black bears have been seen this summer in several of Maryland’s more populous counties, including Montgomery. Credit: Patch file photo