FREDERICK, Md. — A black bear caused quite the stir in downtown Frederick over the weekend.
Overnight Sunday, video began circulating on social media showing the furry fella wandering up and down N. Market Street.
One local business called Molly’s Meanderings took to Facebook jokingly suggesting the bear could've simply been window shopping for some good sales.
Black bear spotted roaming the streets of downtown Frederick over the weekend
"A black bear wandered by after we had closed last night," the store wrote. "Thankfully, everyone was safe—but we think he may have been hoping to catch our summer sale!"
Another user poked some fun as well stating "If every bar in downtown Frederick doesn’t have some kind of bear themed happy hour or drink by this weekend…"
WMAR-2 News was able to get this video from one viewer who captured the bear up close and personal.
Jennifer Gerlock, Frederick's Public Affairs Manager, said police were called out and closely tracked the bear as it left the downtown area without incident.
"The City encourages residents who encounter a bear to keep a safe distance, avoid approaching or feeding it, and contact the appropriate authorities if the animal poses a threat to public safety," said Gerlock.
It's not totally out of the ordinary to spot black bear in the area. Some may recall a nearby cub sighting back in May of 2023.
After all, Frederick County is known as one of Maryland's leading black bear populations behind Allegany, Garrett, and Washington Counties.
According to University of Maryland researchers, black bears have recently made their way into central Maryland as well at a higher rate than usual.
So far this year bears researchers received reports of bears showing up on decks in Ellicott City, and backyards in Darnestown, Gaithersburg and Elkridge.
