Bear spotted in Annandale
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| The bear takes a rest in an Annandale backyard. |
A young black bear has been spotted in Annandale in recent days – on Garlot Drive in the Camelot neighborhood, Lutrell Road, and Queen Elizabeth Boulevard – and further west, on El James Drive, Red Fox Drive, and other locations in the Braddock District.
The bear is most likely a yearling and is taking advantage of easily accessible food, states a spokesperson for the Fairfax County animal protection department. According to reports on Nextdoor, the bear looks like it weighs 100 to 150 pounds.
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| The bear crossed Red Fox Drive near Braddock Road. |
State and local wildlife officials are aware of the situation, Braddock Supervisor James Walkinshaw reports in his newsletter, but they do not relocate bears “unless an animal is sick, injured, or poses a threat to public safety.”
“Bears are not typically aggressive and will move on to a more hospitable location in a matter of days,” wildlife officials state.
The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF) urges people not to feed or interact with bears.
“Bears typically avoid humans, but may wander into suburban areas in search of food,” the department states. “Bears are attracted to bird feeders, garbage, outdoor pet food, compost piles, beehives, fruit trees, and berry-producing shrubs.”
Residents are advised to remove food sources. “Often a bear in your yard is just passing by, and if it doesn’t find food, will simply move on,” the department states.
This time of year, mother bears are kicking young bears out of their protection, so the juveniles are on their own. “They are drawn into neighborhoods because of good thing like pet food and unwashed grills. Make sure you’re not accidentally feeding them,” says Jordan Green, district biologist with the VDGIF.
“Yearlings that are independent from their mother do not need her to survive,” adds Fairfax County Wildlife Management Specialist Katherine Edwards. “Dispersing yearlings, especially males, may travel a great distance to find new home ranges and often these young bears will seek out easy access to food.”
“County staff are not authorized to trap bears,” Edwards says. “The relocation of wildlife is also prohibited in Virginia.”
“If you encounter a bear, walk away slowly and get to a safe location,” Green says “If you’re in a safe location, bang on pots and pans or make noise to scare it away.”
There are about 17,000 bears in Virginia, and every summer, VDGIF gets reports of about a handful of bears in Northern Virginia, Green says.
Residents should report bear sighting to the Virginia Wildlife Conflict Helpline, 855-571-9003.
2 responses to “Bear spotted in Annandale”
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Cool.
Grin and BEAR it!!!