Bear sightings continue in northern Virginia

Black bear spotted in Arlington homeowner's backyard

Black bear sightings are popping up all over Northern Virginia. FOX 5's Homa Bash spoke with some of the folks who have spotted them.

MONTCLAIR, Va. - Bear sightings continue in northern Virginia after new images were captured near a home in Montclair.

A FOX 5 viewer shared video that shows a black bear walking in a wooded area near the backyard of a home on Edgewood Drive.

Bear sightings continue in northern Virginia

Bear sightings continue in northern Virginia after new images were captured near a home in Montclair.

FOX 5’s Maureen Umeh reported that a black bear was spotted around 7 p.m. Sunday night in the Cherrydale neighborhood of Arlington. There have been several sightings in that same area since May. The bear hasn’t caused any problems beyond rummaging through garbage cans and walking through people’s yards.

Last month, a dead black bear was found in a plastic bag near an Arlington walking trail, the county’s Animal Welfare League reports.

Earlier in May, a black bear was spotted in the northeast D.C. neighborhood of Brookland – almost one year after was spotted and captured. The bear, affectionately known as ‘Franklin’ for the street he was found on, was eventually released.

A FOX 5 viewer shared video that shows a black bear walking in a wooded area near the backyard of a home on Edgewood Drive in Montclair, Virginia.

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources estimates that more than 2,000 black bears roam the state. They say young bears can travel great distances to find new space and food sources. Because of this, officials say there is a notable increase in bear / vehicle collisions and human / bear encounters during the period of May through July.