Bear spotted in Raleigh's Five Points area

Reports began to come in at 11:38 p.m. Sunday when a woman called 911 about what she described as a big black bear crossing Glenwood Avenue at Alexander Road.

"A black bear on Glenwood Avenue!" she said incredulously. "He just ran into the back of somebody's yard. Who would have thought? A black bear in the middle of town?"

Just after midnight, Raleigh police officers saw the animal about a half-mile away in the 2100 block of Carroll Road, and by 2 a.m., it had moved on to Oxford Road and was seen ambling toward Dunnhill Drive.

A mail carrier working in the area told WRAL News Monday morning that a couple reported seeing the bear near a home under construction at the corner of Carroll and Whitaker Mill roads.

According to the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, black bears can occasionally wander into residential areas in search of food but will eventually leave the area if left alone and not fed.

The best ways to avoid problems are to steer clear of them and keep trash and pet food stored in secured areas. That includes removing bird feeders and cleaning grills since bears tend to be attracted to food odors and seeds that spill on the ground.

Although black bears tend to be 5 feet to 6 feet long and weigh between 100 to 500 pounds, they are usually shy and timid around humans but can be unpredictable if unnerved, the Wildlife Resources Commission says.

Exactly a year ago Monday, another neighborhood was also dealing with a bear. Several people reported the animal in north Raleigh near Wakefield Pines Drive and New Falls of Neuse Road.