CHESAPEAKE, Va. (AP) 鈥� Officials in Virginia have closed a road in one neighborhood after a mother bear and three cubs were spotted napping in a tree there.
Chesapeake Animal Services asked residents near the tree 鈥� on Bruin Drive 鈥� to stay inside Monday and the general public to stay away from the area. Officials hope that giving the bears 鈥渟pace, quiet, and time鈥� will allow them to leave.
鈥淏lack bears can be unpredictable, especially when sows (mothers) have cubs,鈥� animal services officials on Facebook. 鈥淭his is an extremely stressful situation for the bears, so it鈥檚 important to stay away from the area. That includes driving past the site.鈥�
Chesapeake Police spokesman Leo Kosinski said dispatchers were first alerted to a possible bear sighting around 2 a.m. Monday, The Virginian-Pilot . Later that morning, officers saw the bears napping in the tree and closed off the area, he said.
Conservation officers with the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources were responding to assess the situation.
Bears are very good climbers, and these four will likely climb down and walk away when they鈥檙e ready, Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources Chief of Wildlife Gray Anderson said.
鈥淔rom what I鈥檝e been told, a momma bear and three very healthy young cubs have made their way up a tree in a residential neighborhood,鈥� Anderson said. 鈥淥ur expectation is, if we leave them alone they鈥檒l climb down and go back to their natural habitat.鈥�
The Associated Press