PORTSMOUTH, Va. — A black bear was sighted in Portsmouth, according to photos and a video posted to social media on Thursday.
Rick Guyot says the bear was spotted a few blocks from his house in the Port Norfolk area. In the photos sent to News 3, the bear is seen jumping a fence, walking around on railroad tracks and soaking up some sunlight.
This isn't the first spring bear sighting in Hampton Roads. On April 29, a black bear was sighted in Virginia Beach's Alanton neighborhood.
“I would have thought you were crazy,” said Kirstyn Atkinson, recalling what she might have said if told she would see a black bear in Virginia Beach.
Atkinson sent News 3 a video of the bear walking around in her backyard.
Watch related coverage: Bear seen in Virginia Beach neighborhood
The Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources said bears are common across Virginia, including in Hampton Roads.
Wildlife officials said sightings can occur in neighborhoods, especially when food sources are available, but tend to decrease as natural food becomes more abundant during the summer months.
Officials advise residents not to approach or corner bears and to observe them from a safe distance.
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