Fairfax County General :
Fairfax Underground
Welcome to Fairfax Underground, a project site designed to improve communication among residents of Fairfax County, VA. Feel free to post anything Northern Virginia residents would find interesting.
Welcome to Fairfax Underground, a project site designed to improve communication among residents of Fairfax County, VA. Feel free to post anything Northern Virginia residents would find interesting.
Mama and baby bear in Fairfax neighborhood
Posted by:
TRICKIE
()
Date: June 06, 2007 10:21AM
Hi everyone,
My real good friends live over by Robinson HS in Country Club View and this past week, a resident on Holden St. (I think) discovered a mother bear and her cub right in her yard. She called Animal Control and they gave them valium or something and took them away.
Here are my questions. How do bears get into a residential neighborhood? We have no caves and no big forests there. What do they eat. Are they maybe escapees from that circus that comes to the Patriot center? If they are from the Shenandoah forest, then do they walk all the way to holden St.
I know this is true because my friends do not lie. I hope these crazy GMU students did not have them as a pet and just let them go. That's how we got our cat years ago. He was just abondoned by some fraternity guys.
Please try to answer my bear questions as this has me totally confused.
Trickie
My real good friends live over by Robinson HS in Country Club View and this past week, a resident on Holden St. (I think) discovered a mother bear and her cub right in her yard. She called Animal Control and they gave them valium or something and took them away.
Here are my questions. How do bears get into a residential neighborhood? We have no caves and no big forests there. What do they eat. Are they maybe escapees from that circus that comes to the Patriot center? If they are from the Shenandoah forest, then do they walk all the way to holden St.
I know this is true because my friends do not lie. I hope these crazy GMU students did not have them as a pet and just let them go. That's how we got our cat years ago. He was just abondoned by some fraternity guys.
Please try to answer my bear questions as this has me totally confused.
Trickie
Re: Mama and baby bear in Fairfax neighborhood
Posted by:
MBF
()
Date: June 06, 2007 10:33AM
I grew up on Sideburn Road, right near its intersection with Portsmouth and am familiar with the area. Gadsen park, which is 35 acres in size and primarily wooded area with the exception of a playground and some tennis and b-ball courts backs up to Holden. Just because we're built out doesn't mean that we're not going to have to deal with wildlife. There's coyote and foxes there too.
Re: Mama and baby bear in Fairfax neighborhood
Posted by:
nakedshoplifter
()
Date: June 06, 2007 08:20PM
I do not mean to turn this into a "gun debate" thread, please don't reply to my post turning it into one.
This is just one of the many reasons I carry a gun on my person. While we live in the "burbs" of NOVA and bears and other wildlife are unexpected, imagine what might happen if someone crossed paths with a mama bear and her cubs! I myself have crossed paths with what appeared to be a rabid possum one night while walking after dark. I gave the animal a wide berth to get around it and continue on my way before using my cellphone to call the PD non-emergency line to report the animal and its location.
This is just one of the many reasons I carry a gun on my person. While we live in the "burbs" of NOVA and bears and other wildlife are unexpected, imagine what might happen if someone crossed paths with a mama bear and her cubs! I myself have crossed paths with what appeared to be a rabid possum one night while walking after dark. I gave the animal a wide berth to get around it and continue on my way before using my cellphone to call the PD non-emergency line to report the animal and its location.
Re: Mama and baby bear in Fairfax neighborhood
Posted by:
TheMeeper
()
Date: June 06, 2007 08:48PM
How do bears get into a residential neighborhood? We have no caves and no big forests there?
That's pretty crazy to see a bear, but I could believe it. They're trying to eek out a living and probably found some safe niche around your neighborhood, a place where they can hide out and have access to lots of free food (i.e. dumpsters, garbage cans, stray pets, gardens), plus there isn't anyone here that is hunting them and scaring them off. Black bears are pretty cunning animals, they usually don't let themselves be seen even when they live near humans. I grew up in a rural area that had black bears, and usually they'd get-the-heck-outta-dodge if you ever had a chance encounter with one, but around here, their options for running away might be limited and they might be little less afraid of humans. Still surprising though.
I'm in Tysons, and in the past month I've seen 3 or 4 foxes, and my friend down the street had an opposum in his front yard tree last weekend. I've seen deer a bunch of times here too. Some wildlife is still here even though we're built on top of it.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/06/2007 08:49PM by TheMeeper.
That's pretty crazy to see a bear, but I could believe it. They're trying to eek out a living and probably found some safe niche around your neighborhood, a place where they can hide out and have access to lots of free food (i.e. dumpsters, garbage cans, stray pets, gardens), plus there isn't anyone here that is hunting them and scaring them off. Black bears are pretty cunning animals, they usually don't let themselves be seen even when they live near humans. I grew up in a rural area that had black bears, and usually they'd get-the-heck-outta-dodge if you ever had a chance encounter with one, but around here, their options for running away might be limited and they might be little less afraid of humans. Still surprising though.
I'm in Tysons, and in the past month I've seen 3 or 4 foxes, and my friend down the street had an opposum in his front yard tree last weekend. I've seen deer a bunch of times here too. Some wildlife is still here even though we're built on top of it.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/06/2007 08:49PM by TheMeeper.
Re: Mama and baby bear in Fairfax neighborhood
Posted by:
Radiophile
()
Date: June 06, 2007 09:10PM
nakedshoplifter Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I myself have
> crossed paths with what appeared to be a rabid
> possum one night while walking after dark.
Gravis' pet, "Houdini"? So named because he hangs upside down a lot.
Just kidding, Gravis.
-------------------------------------------------------
> I myself have
> crossed paths with what appeared to be a rabid
> possum one night while walking after dark.
Gravis' pet, "Houdini"? So named because he hangs upside down a lot.
Just kidding, Gravis.
Re: Mama and baby bear in Fairfax neighborhood
Posted by:
Gravis
()
Date: June 07, 2007 01:19AM
i personally know there are deer and fox in my suburban area as i see them in my back yard on occasion as well as on the side or crossing (well.. not the deer, they are too stupid to actually make the rest of the "journey" when lights are on them) the street. the deer like to eat something particular in the back part of the backyard and the foxes just like to play.
"the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish."
"the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish."
Re: Mama and baby bear in Fairfax neighborhood
Posted by:
pmn
()
Date: June 07, 2007 09:49AM
http://www.wildliferescueleague.org/report/opossum.html
The Opossum: Our Marvelous Marsupial, The Social Loner
"I saw a rabid opossum"
This is highly unlikely. While not impossible, as any mammal can contract the virus, opossums rarely contract rabies due to their body temperature being so low. And again, it is impossible to tell by looking at an animal whether or not that animal has rabies.
The Opossum: Our Marvelous Marsupial, The Social Loner
"I saw a rabid opossum"
This is highly unlikely. While not impossible, as any mammal can contract the virus, opossums rarely contract rabies due to their body temperature being so low. And again, it is impossible to tell by looking at an animal whether or not that animal has rabies.