SUFFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — Baron Boulevard? More like Bear-on Boulevard.
That’s right, just two days after four bears were spotted hanging out in a tree on Bruin Drive in Chesapeake, three are in another ursine-sounding street in northern Suffolk.
It’s not clear if these are the same bears from Monday’s spotting in Western Branch, though it’s only about 5 miles from Bruin Drive to Baron Boulevard, which is just off Shoulders Hill Road and Nansemond Parkway.
Suffolk spokesperson Tim Kelley said dispatchers were notified about the bears at 8:14 a.m. and police and the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources have responded. They’ll likely wait until nightfall for the bears to climb down themselves. The department opted to avoid tranquilizing the bears on Bruin Drive due to logistical/safety concerns.
The four bears from Monday, a momma bear and three cubs, eventually left the tree on Bruin Drive after hanging out for nearly 24 hours. They climbed down just before midnight Monday.
The good news is if they are the same bears, they’re heading in the right direction toward their main domain, the Great Dismal Swamp. Chesapeake and Suffolk are right next to the swamp, so bears are no strangers. These two incidents are more unusual due to the number of bears/them being in more residential areas.