VIRGINIA – It’s that time of year where bears are out and about again, some of them making their way to local neighborhoods.
Sabrina Garvin, president of the Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center of Roanoke said one of the most important steps to keep bears away is to keep your trash up.
“Let your neighbors know what’s going on and make sure everyone’s putting up the food,” Garvin said. “Even your bird baths at night, dump them.”
Garvin said they’ve received a number of bear-related calls lately.
“They call, they’re concerned,” Garvin said. “They see a cub up in the tree, and what we like to do is tell folks leave it alone, mom’s most likely going to come back for it.”
According to the Wildlife Center of Virginia, around 17,000 bears live in the state. Plus, it’s not uncommon to see them this time of year.
“It is more active at the moment because the fruit, such as nuts and things, aren’t on the ground and available,” Garvin said. “They’re in search of food because females, they have babies, and so they are out searching.”
If you accidentally get up close and personal with one, wildlife officials said you should remain calm.
“If you do encounter one stay still, back up quietly,” Garvin said. “If you start to turn and run that could cause them to give chase, so it’s better just to be quiet.”