By Josiah Cork, WV News
CLARKSBURG, W.Va. — A bear sighting in Quiet Dell circulated on social media Wednesday morning after the large animal was spotted just off Buckhannon Pike.
Seeing a wild bear can be an exciting or a frightening experience, depending on the person, but knowing what to do is important since sightings aren’t uncommon this time of year, officials said.
“They (bear sightings) are very common. What you typically see in the spring is an increase in observations up until the berries get ripe, which is the first natural food that is available this time of year. So they are common and increasing,” said Steve Rauch, assistant chief of game management for the state Division of Natural Resources’ District One office.
“Bears being seen around a main road, that’s not out of the ordinary and not necessarily an issue. But human food sources are one of the main reasons for attracting bears and thus causing them to become potentially nuisance bears,” Rauch said…
