2nd Bear Sighting in Weeks Reported

Members of a North Bethesda family said they spotted a black bear the size of a Saint Bernard loitering on their front porch yesterday afternoon -- the second bear sighting in Montgomery County in a little more than a week.

Leah Borkowski, 10, was playing video games in the living room when she thought she saw the family dog at the front door. When she got up to check, she realized it was a bear and screamed.

"It really freaked me out," Leah said.

Her father, David Borkowski, a dentist who was working in his home office, came out to check on his daughter and saw the bear. He dialed 911, but by the time he finished the call, the bear -- which he said was probably a cub -- had wandered away.

Borkowski trailed the bear down Greentree Road, but the animal disappeared into woods.

Lucille Baur, spokeswoman for the Montgomery County police, confirmed that authorities received an emergency call at 2:16 p.m. about the bear. She said police have notified the Department of Natural Resources and would send an officer to "get a description of the bear."

On June 27, residents of the Regency Estates neighborhood in the Rockville area reported a small black bear wandering through their back yards. Officials said sightings have occurred in the area periodically over the years and advise people to stay away from the animals.