By admin 
TUCSON, Ariz. (13 News) – A black bear was spotted in a Green Valley neighborhood on Sunday, May 31, prompting concerns among residents and drawing attention from wildlife officials.
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Neighbors reported the bear walking down a street, located near Interstate 19 and Continental Road, around 2:30 p.m.
Arizona Game and Fish said it is one of only a handful of sightings it has had this year, but it could indicate an uptick in bear activity like we saw last summer.
Elaine Foley lives in the Desert Meadows neighborhood and was talking to a friend outside when something caught the corner of her eye.
“She said, ‘Elaine, are you OK? It’s quiet.’ No, I said bear, bear, bear,” Foley said.
The black bear appeared from the side of her home in the residential neighborhood.
“Then it jumped over my brick wall, started going into the street,” Foley said.
The sighting set off a flurry of reactions as the bear made its way down the street.
“Our neighbor called and said, ‘ Did you see the bear? ‘ ‘ What bear? No!” said Kathy Sheehan, a neighbor who lived a few houses down from Foley.
Neighbors said the bear left without coming into contact with any humans, but videos continued to track its movement, including one captured shortly after 4 a.m. Monday, just two miles north of Sunday’s sighting.
Mark Frieberg with the Arizona Game and Fish Department said they believe it to be the same bear, which likely came down from the Madera Canyon area. He said that it is not uncommon this time of year, especially after a dry season with little rain.
“When it gets hot and dry, typically in May and June, they’re looking for more food,” Frieberg said.
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Frieberg said it is one of several sightings they have had recently, but nothing compared to the level of bear activity from last summer.
“We had a lot of bears come off the Mount Lemmon area and into the Tucson area, and really all over Arizona in general,” Frieberg said.
He said the number of sightings last year was unprecedented and that this year’s pale in comparison, at least so far.
“We’re hoping that we don’t have a year like last year, but we’re cautiously optimistic that we won’t have a whole lot of bear problems this year yet,” Frieberg said.
But as temperatures heat up, Frieberg said people should stay aware and avoid leaving food or water out that could attract bears.
For Foley, she is just hopeful her encounter will be an isolated one.
“I really don’t want to see another bear; I don’t think anybody does. It takes you by surprise,” Foley said.
Frieberg said they are continuing to monitor the bear but do not believe it is a threat to the public. If anyone sees a bear, he said to call Game and Fish at 623-236-7201.
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