Bear Visits Arlington; Bring Trash Indoors, Leash Your Pets: AWLA

ARLINGTON, VA — A juvenile black bear, probably a male, was spotted early Monday morning in the Yorktown area, according to Chelsea Jones, a spokeswoman with the Animal Welfare League of Arlington told Patch.

"We tend to have about one of these a year," she said. "It's the time of year for the yearlings to be leaving their their moms and going out to find their own territory. Basically, our animal control is just keeping a close eye ob his location and tracking and while he makes his way, wherever he's going, out of Arlington. He's not going to stay here."

This may be the same bear nicknamed "Otis," who was spotted in Washington, D.C., last week, but AWLA could not confirm that.

For safety's sake, Arlington residents are being asked to avoid looking for or interacting with the bear.

"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.

"If he keeps getting spooked or if there's a lot of really easy food sources ,that's going to cause him to stick around a little bit longer," Jones said. "That's why we're just asking people to give him space, bring in your trash, and do all those things."

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