POTOMAC, Md. — There’s been a series of bear sightings over the past couple of days in the Potomac area of Montgomery County. Wildlife managers say the best approach right now is to leave the bear alone and remove food sources that might encourage the animal to linger in the area.
One of the most recent sightings happened in a forested stream valley area off Windsor View Drive in Potomac on Sunday. Patrick Kilner and his children saw the bear and took a hasty snapshot, which Kilner then posted to NextDoor.
"If it was my kid playing in the woods, which my kids do, I'd want to know that there's a bear down there," Kilner said.
Kilner and other neighbors said they are not alarmed, but intend to stay cautious while walking pets in addition to removing bird feeders and other food sources that might attract bears and other wildlife.
Since 2016, bears have injured two people in Maryland according to Harry Spiker, the black bear project leader and biologist for Maryland's Department of Natural Resources. The state's bear population in the state's four western counties has increased to about 2,200 from 1,500 a decade ago, according to Spiker.
Spiker said his agency receives about 450 reports of bear sightings from concerned residents annually.
Sightings from suburban areas in Montgomery, Howard and Frederick Counties have become common, according to Spiker, but biologists have determined that bears roaming in close-in suburbs are not taking up permanent residence.
Instead, most sightings are of juvenile males that are known to wander surprising distances as they search for new territory in the first season separated from their mothers, Spiker said. Sightings peak in May and June, but if left alone, the juvenile bears almost always find their way back to more suitable habitats away from people, pets and traffic, according to Spiker.
"One thing that we do know is they want to end up where there are other bears so they're not going to stay that long," he said. "They're going to get out of there and move on."
Maryland's Department of Natural Resources and local animal control officials say because of the roaming behavior, they do not routinely attempt to trap and move suburban bears unless the animal has become aggressive or destructive.
"We've learned the hard way, over time, that sometimes it's much worse to respond," Spiker said, noting that the process of trapping or drugging a bear can be fraught with danger for both people and the animal. "He's in an environment that he's not comfortable with anyway, and allowing him to navigate his own way through that area is usually is the best outcome. He found his way in, he can find his way out."
Spiker encourages residents who have a bear sighting to share the information with neighbors along with advice to remove bird feeders, secure trash, and put away grills after they are used. People and pets should never intentionally approach a bear, coyote or any other wildlife, Spiker said.
Here are some other useful methods to further reduce the chances of making bears repeated visitors in your area:
- Secure your garbage in bear-resistant trash cans or store it in a secure building.
- Keep your grill clean.
- Don’t put meat scraps in your compost pile.
- Don’t leave pet food outdoors.
- Pick up and remove ripe fruit from fruit trees.
- Make sure your neighbors are following the same recommendations.