Black bear spotted in Spotsylvania County

SPOTSYLVANIA COUNTY, Va. - A black bear was spotted in a Spotsylvania County community Thursday evening.

A FOX 5 viewer wrote us and said her husband was walking their dog when he spotted the bear. The husband grabbed the dog and ran inside their home in the Lee's Parke Subdivision.

The bear then continued walking toward Spotsylvania Parkway behind the other homes in the community.

The Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources says if you come into close contact with a bear, back away slowly and remember that bears have a natural distrust of humans and will run when given a safe escape route.

If it is up a tree, leave it alone. Keep people and pets away from the tree to allow the bear to leave your property.