HENRICO COUNTY, Va. (WTVR) -- Henrico police are sounding the alarm after receiving several calls about a black bear in the western part of the county.
A chance sighting this morning was just long enough for the above picture to be taken of a young bear crossing Tunbridge Road, in the Whitaker Woods subdivision.
It was one of a half-dozen bear sightings in Henrico County in the last few days, and follows other recent sightings in Petersburg and Prince George County.
Henrico police Lieutenant Linda Toney said Wednesday that the animal was also spotted near Lauderdale Drive and Patterson Avenue, Pump Road and Falconbridge Drive and the 11600 block of Gayton Road.
Police say the last call they got for a bear sighting, was about 12:45 Wednesday, near Gaskins and Quioccasin Roads.
Toney said Animal Protection Unit officers are in the process of searching for the animal.
If you have seen the bear, please call the Henrico Police Communications at 804-501-5000 or 911. Email photos to pics@wtvr.com, or post a message on the CBS 6 Facebook page. You can also add a picture to our gallery below by clicking the "submit your photo" button.
Here are some reminders about bears from the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries:
- Respect the bear’s space.
- If the bear is on or near your property, do not escalate the situation by approaching, crowding around, or chasing the bear. This also applies to bears that have climbed a tree.
- The best thing you can do is leave it alone.
- Bears are naturally afraid of humans and will look for escape routes.
Stay with CBS 6 News and WTVR.com for updates on this story.
