Thirteen-year-old Jevon Butler says he had a frightening run-in with a black bear while biking near the archery range by Bock Road in Fort Washington. Fortunately, he escaped without injury, and the sighting was later reported to Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR).
Butler, an eighth grader, told WTOP he was near the Tucker Road Community Center when he stopped to check his phone and noticed movement in the woods. Moments later, he said, a black bear appeared roughly 500 feet away, made eye contact, and began chasing him.
“I hopped on my bike and rode up the hill,” Butler recalled, adding that he eventually saw the bear turn back into the woods. Passing cars also seemed to notice the animal.
Shaken, Butler hurried home to tell his grandmother, Sherry Ponder. At first, she suspected he may have mistaken a large dog for a bear, but after hearing his account and seeing how shaken he was, she contacted officials to report the sighting.
Maryland DNR confirmed receiving Ponder’s report, though no other sightings have been logged in the area. Still, DNR spokesperson Gregg Bortz said a bear roaming Fort Washington is “certainly possible.”
He pointed to recent confirmed sightings, including a bear in Nanjemoy in late August and another that roamed through Prince George’s County and later Herndon, Virginia, earlier this summer. That bear, nicknamed “Elden,” has since become a local mascot.
Officials encourage residents with questions about black bears to visit Living With Black Bears on the DNR website or consult BearWise.org.
