Late last week reports began popping up on social media of black bear sightings in St. Mary’s County. The county’s emergency services department issued a warning to residents with some helpful tips now that there seems to be at least one black bear that wandered into the county.
Those tips include never feed a bear, secure garbage outside of homes, don’t leave pet food outside, remove bird feeders while bears are active, and clean and store grills. “While black bears are generally not aggressive, they can pose a threat if they feel cornered, startled or have easy access to food around human habitats,” according to the department.
So far, sightings have been reported in Piney Point, Mechanicsville and Dameron and Historic St. Mary’s City — in other words, throughout St. Mary’s County.
Officials have not given any word on how the black bear may have arrived in St. Mary’s, although some have speculated it swam across the Potomac River from Virginia, where the bears are prevalent, especially in the mountains.
For now, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources is monitoring the situation. “To my knowledge, I don’t believe they’ve caught the bear or seen the bear too recently, but it is exciting,” Commissioner Eric Colvin (R) said at Tuesday’s county commissioners’ meeting. “Recommendation is if you see the bear, just let it be, let it go on its way.”
If it swam the Potomac to get to St. Mary's County, it can swim the Patuxent to get to Calvert. It's a good thing Black Bears hardly ever kill anybody. I wonder if it's hanging out with the St. Mary's Alligator.
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