Be bear aware: Bear sighting, damage reported in Va.

A bear was sighted in the Birch Pond community last weekend near the Rocky Run Stream Valley Park. Bear damage was also reported recently on a beehive at nearby Ellanor C. Lawrence Park, Fairfax County Police said.

Bears typically avoid humans but may wander into suburban areas in search for food. They are often attracted by bird feeders, garbage, outdoor pet food, compost piles, fruit trees and berry-producing shrubs, according to officials.

If addressed quickly, situations can be resolved almost immediately by removing the food source.

In Virginia, spring is the time when black bears and cubs emerge from their winter dens, usually between mid-March and early May.

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If encountered, female bears and their cubs should not be approached, police said. If a female bear senses danger, she will typically send her cubs up a tree and leave the area. She will almost always return to gather up the cubs when no people are pets are around.

Officials said if a bear huffs or “woofs,” clacks its teeth, growls or slaps the ground, it is warning you that you are too close.

Here are a few tips for residents from the Fairfax County Wildlife Management Specialist and the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries:

• Keep a respectful distance. In most cases, the bear will move on quickly.
• If a bear is up a tree on or near your property, give it space. Do not approach. Bring your pets inside to provide the bear a clear path to leave your property.
• If you see a very small cub, do not try to remove it from the area or “save it.”
• Secure your garbage in bear-resistant trash cans or store it in a secure building.
• If you have a trash collection service, put your trash out the morning of the pickup, not the night before.
• Do not store household trash, or anything that smells like food, in vehicles, on porches or decks.
• Keep your grill clean.
• Don’t put meat scraps in your compost pile.
• Don’t leave pet food outdoors.
• Remove bird feeders if a bear is in the area.
• Encourage your neighbors to take similar precautions.

Bear sightings should be reported to the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries through the Virginia Wildlife Conflict Helpline at (855) 571-9003. Unless the animal is sick or injured, or poses a threat to public safety, the Fairfax County Animal Protection Police do not take actions to remove bears from a neighborhood.