A wild black bear has been spotted roaming in the city of Charlottesville for at least the past few weeks.
The bear was last seen Tuesday near Barracks Road and Blue Ridge Road, according to Charlottesville Police Sgt. David Jones.
Police said they believe the bear currently is in the area between Rugby Road and Emmet Street.
Charlottesville police said the area between Rugby Road and Emmet Street is an ideal area for a bear to choose to reside.
"That area has a lot of trees and a creek running through it," Jones said.
Charlottesville police said the bear will not pose a severe threat unless it is harassed. Though it is not considered extremely dangerous, officers emphasized that the bear still is a wild animal.
"He hasn't shown any aggression towards people," Jones said. "He's going to run the other way unless trapped."
Camera flashes, attempts to feed the bear, chasing and perhaps cornering the bear could cause it to become aggravated, Jones added.
There has been only one reported incident of aggression concerning the bear, during an attempt to capture the animal Oct. 22.
"The only time the bear has shown some aggression was when people started taking flash pictures of it," Jones said. "It charged at two of our officers, who then shot at the bear and possibly wounded it."
There have been several reported sightings of the bear since Oct. 22. Charlottesville police said this leads them to believe there may be multiple animals in the area.
"I think we are dealing with more than one bear," Jones said.
The Wild Life Federation said they believe the bear came into the Charlottesville area in search of its own territory.
"The bear is probably at an age where it needs to leave its mother and begin its life without her," Wildlife Federation Chief Naturalist Craig Tufts said. "The bear has to leave in the fall and usually wanders 20-60 miles away from its mother's territory to create its own territory."
"This is the time of year when the bears are being forced away from their moms," Tufts added.
For now, Charlottesville police are attempting to detain the bear to allow the Wild Life Federation to tranquillize it and then relocate it.
So far, there have been no reports of any bear-related injuries, Jones said.
Certain items can attract bears, including bird feeders, trashcans, an abundance of food and heavily wooded areas where it is relatively easy to find cover, Jones said.
"Like with any wild animal, you don't want to make any sudden movements," University Police Sgt. Melissa Fielding said. "Certainly you don't want to do anything to agitate it. If you can get to a phone, you need to reach 911 as soon as possible."
Fielding stressed that people should not attempt to rescue the animal themselves because doing so could prove hazardous to their health.
Some students who reside in the area said they feel uneasy about the potential presence of the bear.
"Well, I definitely feel unsafe considering I walk by that way every day in order to get to practice," said fourth-year College student Andy Jenkins, who lives on Lambeth Lane, adjacent to Rugby Road.
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