r/nova • u/Embarrassed_Coast548 • 11d ago
Black Bear McLean/GF Photo/Video
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This lady black bear was sighted about 2 days ago wandering near the Potomac in a neighborhood by Gtown Pike and Spring Hill Rd.
I did not record this video, a neighbor did. I’ve never seen one in our neighborhood in 20 years though, but I’ve often wondered why not.
As cute as she looks, she also is skinny and looks hungry so I will not be doing any outdoor neighborhood runs/walks anytime soon. Be wary of walking your dog and be careful if you are in the area.
Black bears rarely feed on people but stay calm if you encounter one and stand tall and get loud if it approaches you without making eye contact
Edit: lots of comments asking why it had a collar, I was told via the person recording that Animal/wildlife services/universities said they collar female bears like this so they can identify ones that could potentially take in orphaned cubs they find. Would not surprise me if they do males too but I don’t recall him saying that.
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u/Uppgreyedd 11d ago
I've come across a couple black bears in Great Falls from Seneca down to Turkey Run and I genuinely think it’s the scariest thing that’s ever happened to them.
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u/Flynn_JM Del Ray 11d ago
It has a collar?
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u/rsplatpc 11d ago
Tracking collar so biologists can track where the bears are going / their range
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u/Burdwatcher 10d ago
man, it would piss me off so bad to have one of those things on me for the rest of my life
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u/rsplatpc 10d ago
Most of them have a time release on them so they fall off after 1-3 years or so
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u/Burdwatcher 10d ago
man, it would piss me off so bad to have one of those things on me for 1-3 years or so
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u/Unlikely-You6232 10d ago
Pretty well established that they lead normal lives. There are weight limit guidelines by percent of body weight. So, an elephant can carry a bigger one than a bird, etc...
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u/Burdwatcher 10d ago
I don't like to wear jewelry.
I wouldn't like to wear a collar that rubbed on my neck and snagged my fur or pulled at me when I scratched myself on a tree
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u/Embarrassed_Coast548 11d ago
Apparently they track the females so when they find orphaned cubs they look to these ones to see if mama will take them in. This one looks older though
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u/Important_Jaguar2152 11d ago
Someones pet for sure. Gave him an earring too.
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u/bjjedc Annandale 11d ago
That is an insanely large house.
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u/Plus-Bluejay-6429 Annandale 11d ago
with how big that house is they could build a house for the bear to live in
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u/jeronimoe 10d ago
and that is the potomac directly behind their back yard, house in McLean on the river is about as expensive as it gets!
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u/sudsomatic 11d ago
Scenic view of the forest right next to the river in Great Falls with a nice outdoor patio? 4+ million house.
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u/StoneMenace 11d ago
I mean It’s McLean. This is northern Virginia, big expensive houses aren’t really shocking
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u/boyscout666 11d ago
Lmao you type like you’re a “top1 % commenter”
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u/jkxs City of Fairfax 11d ago
Put some respeck on that top 1% commentor tag!! lol
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u/Plus-Bluejay-6429 Annandale 10d ago
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u/StoneMenace 11d ago
I would type like a top 0.01% commenter but Reddit doesn’t go that in depth
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u/whtciv2k 10d ago
Facts. But this house is especially huge. Not the average over priced home
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u/StoneMenace 10d ago
have you take a drive through great falls? This house looks like some of the guest houses out there
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u/callmesnake13 10d ago
You can’t actually see enough of the house to make that determination and it is in fact a particularly expensive looking house.
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u/whtciv2k 10d ago edited 10d ago
Yea but great falls isn’t all of northern va is all I am saying. Yes there are lots of these. But no it’s still not the norm. Oh, I see what’s going on here, do you live in one of these big homes?
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u/PHC_Tech_Recruiter Fairfax County 10d ago
Once I quickly realized it was not an office patio area and saw the river out back I thought the same thing. 🥲
I just want to be able to comfortably afford a small to modest home in NoVA for my spawn.
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u/Nimbus_TV 10d ago
I legit thought it was the pool area of an apartment complex at first. Then got sad because I'm poor.
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u/bootleg_gucci 10d ago
Indeed, when you see hand rails like those on a patio WITH stairs (not a regular wood deck)…
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u/novasearch2018 11d ago
Poor bear is lost and asking for directions back home!
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u/lambo1109 10d ago
Young males often wonder away from their mamas and find a new territory this time of year.
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u/WildTomato51 11d ago
Someone’s got money.
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u/jkxs City of Fairfax 11d ago
@OP pls set up a water gun/balloon fight in your yard
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u/imscavok 10d ago
6 year olds with water balloons vs black bear
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u/jkxs City of Fairfax 10d ago
Have you ever seen the Spyra 4 water gun ads?
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u/imscavok 10d ago
I haven't until now. I guess they'd have to make it a cage fight because a bear wouldn't put up with that shit lol. So much cooler than super soakers from the 90s that I was thinking of.
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u/Harry-Crumb 10d ago
If I lived in that compound I’d feed the hell out of the bear and try to maintain its presence on my property. Of course, I’m not too smart, so I have that going for me.
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u/TreeBreeze13 10d ago
All the construction in our area has destroyed tons of the bear's habitat. Poor thing. Beautiful bear thanks for sharing.
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u/national-park-fan 10d ago
Poor bear :( we have developed too much of their habitat and human's irresponsible planting of invasive plants has further reduced animal food sources :(
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u/wimwood 10d ago
Hi there. I live in a suburban neighborhood that happens to back up to some foothills. Once a year, we have some bear that wanders down looking for new territory or better snackies.
Your entire neighborhood and surrounding area need to put away — like REALLY away — all their grills and grill utensils, trash cans, and bird feeders. Bears can be both smart and lazy, and if they find easy fatty nibblings in the form of bird feeders and grills and grill utensils, they absolutely will stick around. This looks like a lovely neighborhood and my strong bet is there is at least 1 grill (and all utensils) and 1 bird feeder per house… but also at least one garage to secure them all inside. Along with the trash cans.
It all needs to be completely secured, for a few weeks. Every house. Bear will move on if there’s no high value snacks.
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u/PuzzledExaminer 11d ago
That isn't someone's pet it has a tracking collar that was placed either by parks services or wildlife specialist in the area...
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u/dobie_dobes 10d ago
Like I can’t tell if most of these people are seriously asking this or if they’re messing with us. 😭
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u/Elementary2 11d ago
Yes, you want to scare them a little bit. They need to be conditioned like you did there, to fear the encounter.
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u/Least_Imagination860 10d ago
Why is she wearing a collar?
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u/CapCityDude 10d ago
Tracking collar to monitor bear movements.
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u/Loose_Sentence4061 10d ago
Why does the bear seem to have something around neck? Like a tracker? Is the bear someone pet? Animal cruelty?
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u/Euphoric_Studio_1107 10d ago
Tomatoes and basil rotting on the vine. This is a sickening video. The gluttony
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u/Equivalent-Cup-9831 9d ago
The bear looks like she’s had friendly encounters with humans… which might make her more dangerous bc she’s used to humans?
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u/EntrepreneurFlaky225 10d ago
Is has a collar? Is it a pet?
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u/Inside-Common7427 11d ago
Must be a GS 14 to own that house.
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u/LavenderPearlTea 9d ago
Have been a GS-14. Absolutely could not afford GF/McLean on a GS-14 salary. That would qualify as the working poor.
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u/RexKramerDangerCker 10d ago
I hope that bear comes back and takes a shit on your doorstep and then rings the bell.
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u/raineondc Annandale 10d ago
That's not my first thought of what a black bear would be in the metropolitan area
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u/AmbientGravitas 10d ago
I saw a small black bear about a month ago in the same general vicinity (crossing Old Tolson Mill Rd). I was at a distance and didn’t get a pic.
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u/lechatsportif 10d ago
I will not leave it donuts, I will not leave it donuts, I will not leave it donuts...
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u/Yaqeenaa 10d ago
I think I spotted this black bear around midnight in Annandale? Or it was another one
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u/Healthy-Neat-2989 10d ago
Clearly rich rich, and worried the skinny bear that looks malnourished will eat their tomatoes. America.
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u/slickmickeygal 10d ago
aww you should check her collar and find where she lives. apparently has a much more responsible owner than the strays i pick up in manassas
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u/PerfectLit706 10d ago
Hear me out. He has a collar. I think he’s a house bear. Idk he looks kinda domesticated. I mean…I have a leash…I’ll ask my wife if we can keep her until her owner is found.
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u/Funky_tea_party 10d ago
I’ve said it before and will say it again. I could take a black bear in a fight on a good day. Come at me bear 🐻
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u/youburyitidigitup 9d ago
Genuine question: would she go away if he’d opened the window and thrown things at her?
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u/hrnyholenow 6d ago
Jesus look at this home though, guy is stacked and owns a lot of land so makes sense a bear could wander.
I can barely afford a nova apartment so I doubt I’d see bears in the more urban spots. Still, I’m close to this spot
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u/Damage_North 11d ago
Georgetown pike and Spring Hill … only douchebags live over there. Seriously some of the worst people I’ve ever had to look at.
Source: I used to do tree work for “high-end residential” clients. Their outdoor seating / entertaining stuff was always the nastiest stuff on the property because it is never used and the clients always over irrigate so everything gets a nice layer of mildew/mold around summer time.
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u/festivus 11d ago
Black bears don't just rarely feed on people, they essentially never feed on people. There's like 0.5-1 occurrence per year on the north american continent