Similar to the story of Goldilocks, a bear, captured on camera in a Facebook video, visited several homes on Julie Lane in Newark, according to residents.
During Saturday’s sweltering heat, 5-year-old Bella Foster was sitting in the living room of their Barksdale Estates home when she saw “a man” on the home’s back deck around 6:30 p.m. Two of the family’s dogs, Sophie and Coco, barked at the intruder on the other side of the sliding glass doors, but kept their distance.
It turned out that the trespasser was not a man, but a black bear, likely the same bear seen by several people in Julie Lane and in nearby Maryland. The girl remembered seeing the creature’s leg as it left the deck, and she quickly realized it was a bear.
“Because I saw the legs, because humans have thin legs and bears have big legs,” Bella said.
Christine Mulrooney heard her granddaughter screaming and went to investigate. She saw the bear run into their yard and eventually disappear into the bamboo bordering the wooded area behind their house.
To reach the second floor deck, the bear had knocked down the gate at the top of the stairs. It involved the bird feeder hanging on the end of a pole. Mulrooney said there was birdseed scattered everywhere. No one was injured, but with three dogs, the family felt a bit uneasy after the incident.
Unsure of what to do, Mulrooney posted on Facebook asking for advice on who to contact if he encountered a bear and called Newark police.
Upon their arrival, officers patrolled the area but did not venture into the woods. Instead, they used their lights to check for reflections in the animal’s eyes. As they were preparing to leave, one of the officers asked, ‘Do you mind if I come through the house?'” Mulrooney recalled.
Mulrooney said they received a call from the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, which advised them that if they saw the animal again, they should try to take a video and contact them immediately.
Bear sightings have also been reported in Maryland
When Patrick Foster heard about the event, he decided to share it on Reddit. In response, another user noted that a bear was spotted in Rising Sun near the Pennsylvania border on June 12. According to Reddit’s response, a bear was also sighted on Fair Hill, near the intersection of Maryland’s Route 213 and MD-273. The driving distance between that location and the woods behind Julie Lane is approximately six miles. Taking shortcuts through the patchwork of forested areas could shorten travel time.
“If there’s a report that he’s back or another report that there’s been another bear sighting in Maryland, we’ll feel better,” Foster said.
A day after the bear sighting on Julie Lane, a few houses down from the Mulrooneys, Lynia Dixon stood outside her house with her iguana Spike on her shoulder so the lizard could warm up. She said her other neighbors told her they also had surveillance footage of the bear on their deck.
Dixon, a manager at a veterinary practice, said it is typical for male bears to roam in search of food. She said as long as no one approaches or tries to feed the bear, there is little cause for concern. Dixon noted that bears will rummage through trash and hoped people would keep their trash cans tightly closed.
Dixon understands the concerns people may have with dogs, but she isn’t worried. Although black bears are generally not aggressive and rarely pose a threat to people, she said, “If the bears came through the yard right now, I wouldn’t be standing here. I would get in my car.”
Black bear sightings in Delaware
How to bear-proof your real estate
These tips come from the New Castle County Police Department and the state Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control:
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Store the waste in a secure waste container or keep it indoors until the day of collection. (If you keep it in your garage, close the garage door – bears aren’t afraid to enter garages looking for treats.)
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Store grill racks indoors or keep them free of food debris.
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Rinse waste containers with ammonia to remove food odor.
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Temporarily stop using backyard compost piles.
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Temporarily remove bird feeders.
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If you have animals: a. Store pet food indoors and pet food away from buildings and outdoor lights. B. If you have an electric fence, make sure it is turned on to protect chicken coops, livestock farms, etc.
You can ccontact Anitra Johnson at ajohnson@delawareonline.com.
This story contains previous News Journal reporting.
This article originally appeared in Delaware News Journal: Bear spotted in Newark, possibly the same as a bear seen in Maryland
