From a reader:
My husband and I just moved to Crozet this March and enjoy your blog. We just moved into our house that is close to the trail connecting Wayland’s Grant with Old trails. In the past two weeks we’ve had about 4 bear sightings on this path. I called the local game warden and was told they will move on when there is no food – I am not sure where/what food source they have found here. I’m also not sure how many bears are around, but just this past friday (4/2), we took this picture of a little cub in our driveway. I’ve told our neighbors, but it might be good to let all the people who use the trail that this bear/s hasn’t moved on yet! No signs yet of a mam bear, but I am pretty sure the bear I saw from the distance wasn’t a cub so I think there is more than one.
And when I asked permission to post:
You can definitely post, I think it is a good idea to let people know and so they can secure any trash or food they may have outside- The first sighting was by my sitter when she took my son for a walk on 3/24. Then my sister and I saw another bear in the same area (this is in the Creekside neighborhood on the trail that goes behind the homes) on 3/28. I thought the bear/s had moved on but this photo is from 4/2 and in our yard instead of on the trail.
Update 7 April 2010 – The Newsplex saw the story here and then did what reporters do – interviewed a bunch of people and discovered it’s an orphaned bear.
People are on the lookout for an orphaned bear cub in Crozet. It seems the furry creature is creating quite a stir in the Old Trail subdivision.
People are being told not to pet the bear or go near it, even though it’s a tiny cub, only about forty pounds. The bear has become a fixture in the western Albemarle County development.
“When I left that day it was right at the edge drinking,” says Sandra Terrell. The nanny was taking ten-month-old Sammy for a stroll in the neighborhood when she heard a loud noise.
“Something went running across the bushes. I thought it was a fat cat, but when I looked over at the tree it was a baby bear,” says Terrell.
She says it’s the same bear Sammy’s parents saw in their driveway just days ago.
“I startled it, and it startled us, and when I looked over there, the bear was hugging the tree and turned and looked at me,” says Terrell. The Newsplex has learned the bear is an orphan yearling. It’s too old to be considered a cub, and too young to be out on its own. The bear’s parents likely died, forcing it to fend for itself.
