Bear sighting in Prince William County cause concern for residents

TRIANGLE, Va. - Bear sighting season is here and a big one was spotted in a northern Virginia neighborhood -- and it's not the first. There have reportedly been several bear sightings in Prince William County.

The bear was seen in a neighborhood of Triangle on Monday night. At the time, the family who lives at the home was outside with two young children. They all rushed inside, but just before running in, took a video of the bear on their cell phones.

The Williams family posted the video on Instagram, where users had to plenty to say about the large bear roaming around their neighborhood.

Reaction ranged from surprise to fear. This particular video shows the bear emerging from a wooded area near the 18000 block of Williams Road. The neighborhood is surrounded by Prince William County Forest Park.

While there are more than 17,000 bears across the state, the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries says there has never been a fatal attack by a black bear on a person in the state, despite thousands of interactions between bears and people annually.

"I was told to run in the house with the kids. Everyone was freaking out for a second cause he kind of looked scary," said Lydia Williams.

"He was pretty big. He looked... probably maybe taller than me if he was sitting up about my height maybe," she said.

Witnesses say the bear went down the street and moments later a young boy was reportedly seen running in the opposite direction screaming "bear!"

Thankfully, it appears no one was harmed.

The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries debunks a few bear myths:
A bear standing on its hind legs is about to charge or attack.
A bear in that position is reportedly getting a better view and smell of the surroundings.