This week kicked off with a greeting from an unexpected furry face for some Herndon residents.
A black bear was spotted roaming the area around Alabama Drive and Hillwood Court north of Haley M. Smith Park this morning (Monday), the Herndon Police Department confirmed shortly before 9 a.m.
While it’s unclear where exactly the bear came from, reports of a young bear in Reston cropped up on social media over the weekend.
The bear seen in Herndon is a male yearling that’s being tracked by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Herndon Police said, noting that it’s wearing a tracking collar.
“Fairfax County Animal control has notified Department of Wildlife Resources,” Herndon PD said in social media posts. “They will be monitoring the location of the bear. DO NOT APPROACH.”
CAUTION- BEAR SIGHTING: We have confirmed that a large black bear with tracing collar is in the area of Alabama Dr and Hillwood Ct. Fairfax County Animal control has notified Department of Wildlife Resources. They will be monitoring the location of the bear. DO NOT APPROACH. pic.twitter.com/A84PDPExi8
— Herndon Police (@HerndonPolice) June 9, 2025
Though Fairfax County has seen its share of bears before, including in Reston, they’re “very rare” in the Town of Herndon, Herndon PD spokesperson Lisa Herndon says. She estimates that this is only the second sighting in her eight years with the department.
Nicknamed Elden by Herndon PD, the bear apparently lingered Herndon throughout the day, climbing up a tree and prompting police to close the 800 block of Elden Street in both directions around 3:30 p.m.
“A biologist from @virginiawildlife is en route to assess the situation and determine the best plan to relocate Elden,” the police department said on social media. “Elden Street between Center and Grace is closed to vehicle traffic and foot traffic. Find an alternate route and avoid the area if possible.”
According to Fairfax County’s wildlife management specialist, black bears encounters aren’t common in the area, but there are typically at least some sightings every spring and summer, as they enter residential neighborhoods in search of food.
The Fairfax County Police Department has previously estimated that there are three to four active bears in the county, but a formal count hasn’t been conducted.
Officials say bears generally avoid humans, but if a conflict arises, the county advises reporting it to the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources:
If you are experiencing a problem with a bear or wildlife, please contact the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) by calling the toll-free Virginia Wildlife Conflict Helpline at 855-571-9003. The DWR is the responsible agency for determining the appropriate actions to resolve human-bear conflict. Removal of a bear from an area is a decision not taken lightly, is normally a last result, and typically a consequence of human actions related to intentional or unintentional feeding. The Fairfax County Animal Protection Police do not take action to remove bears from neighborhoods.
More information on black bears in Virginia and ways to reduce conflicts can be found at https://dwr.virginia.gov/wildlife/bear/ and https://bearwise.org/.
