A bear sighting for the birds in Suffolk
SUFFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — On Harlan Drive in the Cedar Crest Hall neighborhood of Suffolk, you are surrounded by nature, but it’s not every day residents see bears in their backyards.
“We have had foxes, we have racoons, possums, and those are regular,” said Suffolk resident Brenda Wineman. “Of course your squirrels and just about any bird you can imagine.”
It was on Tuesday in this Suffolk neighborhood when Wineman, who has lived here since 1988, was surprised to see this bear on in her backyard, and it was munching on bird seed.
“I heard a loud noise and I looked out and I didn’t see anything,” Wineman said. “I just looked out the window. I leaned forward and started to lean back and [said], ‘wait a minute, that’s a bear.'”
From her back porch, Wineman watched the bear eating seeds from the bird feeder he pulled down. Excited to see the the bear, she called neighbor Sue Burke so she could see it as well.
“Brenda called me at six o’clock in the morning and said there was a bear in my backyard,” Burke said, “and I said ‘What?'”
She snapped a picture from her porch of the bear reaching for the second bird feeder.
“I am 5-foot-3,” Burke said. “I can’t … I guess I can touch it. But he reached from the top. He was bigger than me, quite a bit bigger than me.”
Wineman’s husband measured the distance from the ground to the bird feeder, coming in at seven feet. The rather large bear snacked on bird seed for more than 30 minutes before running off.
“He was eating the grass and dumping the feeder out,” Wineman said. “He destroyed my squirrel-proof feeder. It is obviously not bear proof.”
If you do have an encounter with a bear, experts say to remain calm, walk away slowly to give the bear space and to keep your yard free of food sources and garbage.
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Bear sightings have become common in the region. Besides the bear spotted in Chesapeake, Virginia Beach says it has gotten multiple reports of bear sightings.
“This is the time of year when we start seeing bear activity, especially in neighborhoods that are adjacent to woodlands and waterways,” according to the Virginia Beach Animal Care and Adoption Center. “Bird feeders, grill drippings, outside pet food, and accessible trash cans are all great attractants and resources for bears. These are especially attractive to juvenile bears that are looking for an easy resource because they are recently caring for themselves.
“It is recommended to only place outside food (bird or pet) that would be cleaned up during the day and remove them from outside dusk to dawn. Grill drippings should be cleaned up after each use and trash cans should be secured or placed in a shed or garage during the night. Taking these extra steps now will prevent bears from finding these resources and revisiting the area regularly for them.
All of these recommendations come for the Department of Wildlife Resources and more information can be found on their website at Be Bear Wise|Virginia DWR.
DWR State biologists have been advised of the sightings.
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