A bear was struck and killed by a driver traveling north on Interstate 395 in Arlington on Saturday, just weeks after an Arlington artist woman and her son found the “illegally dumped” carcass of a bear that had been hit and killed by a vehicle on Interstate 66.
A passerby called Virginia State Police just after 2 p.m. Saturday to report a dead bear lying on the side of the road near Exit 8C to Pentagon City/Crystal City/Reagan National Airport/Alexandria, the state police department said. Troopers responding to the scene confirmed the bear was dead, then contacted Arlington County Animal Control to remove it.
The incident comes amid an uptick in bear sightings around the area, according to animal welfare experts. Earlier Saturday, Friends of the Mount Vernon Trail volunteer leader Jeff Yutzler was out with his 12-year-old daughter when the girl spotted a bear lumbering across Memorial Avenue near Arlington National Cemetery.
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“Neither of us had ever seen a bear in person, out in nature outside of a zoo,” Yutzler said. “We had heard of different bear sightings recently in Arlington so I wasn’t totally shocked, but it was still surprising.”
During the week leading up to the bear’s death, several Arlington residents reported bear sightings to the Animal Welfare League of Arlington, prompting the organization to share advice for residents who encounter the bear.
“The bear appears healthy and is likely a young male yearling moving through Arlington County in his search for a new home habitat,” the AWLA said in a Facebook post June 8.
It remains unclear if the bear sighted around Arlington is the same bear killed Saturday.
“Bear sightings are becoming a much more regular occurrence this time of year in Arlington,” the AWLA post said.
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AWLA advised residents to secure their garbage, dismantle bird feeders, clean their grills, remove food from inside their vehicles, close their garage doors, keep their dogs on a leash and, above all, do not seek out the bear.
“Unfortunately in past bear sightings, we have had issues with members of the public going out in search of the bear to take their own photos or see it for themselves,” the AWLA said in the post. “This is VERY dangerous, and can cause harm to you, others, and the bear.”
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