Bear Climbs Behind Officer's Back in Maryland Park: VIDEO

Officers on patrol in Baltimore County discovered a friend... pic.twitter.com/YYcdbmHiib
— MD NRP (@MDNRPolice) July 3, 2016

Locals were not the only ones enjoying Maryland parks on the Fourth of July weekend.

Officials received reports of a black bear roaming the Baltimore-Howard county region, Maryland Natural Resources Police spokeswoman Candy Thomson said.

While out between noon and 3 p.m. on Sunday, July 3, Thomson said some officers even captured a video with the animal in the background at a park where picnickers reported seeing the animal nearby.

"The officers were on patrol but were aware of the presence of a bear in the area, so they decided to stop and size up the situation," Thomson said of the circumstances leading up to the 15-second video.

Natural resources officials "would rather not pinpoint where the video was shot," Thomson told Patch. "However, I can say that our communications center had calls all weekend about bear sightings in Oella, Ellicott City, Woodlawn and Catonsville."

Authorities say that the bear, which has been spotted around the Baltimore-Washington suburbs, is likely the same one.

• Bear Makes Rounds in Baltimore, Howard Counties
• 'Cecil' the Bear Wanders into Aberdeen Proving Ground
• Black Bear Tries to Beat Montgomery Traffic

Typically, Maryland's bear population is concentrated in Washington, Allegany, Frederick and Garrett counties, according to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. Most bears stay within a 10 to 25-mile radius of where they live.

However, baby bears may roam up to 200 miles in a process called "dispersing" in which they try to find their own territory. After dispersing, young bears usually settle in places with established bear populations in western Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia.

Black bear sightings in the state are most common in eastern Maryland in June and July.

Tips to live harmoniously with bears:

• Never feed bears or other wildlife. Feeding bears is illegal in Maryland.
• Don’t leave bowls of pet food or water outside. If possible, keep all pet food indoors at all times.
• Keep garbage in sturdy containers with tight-fitting lids, regularly cleaning them to minimize food odors.
• Contain compost with food material in enclosed bins away from your residence.
• Stop filling bird feeders or move them out of reach.
• Keep grills clean and secure.
• Encourage bears to leave your yard by making loud noises.