STAUNTON, Va. -- Staunton is becoming a popular hangout for black bears.
Four bears have been spotted inside the city in less than a month, authorities said.
The latest wayward bear appeared in the city Thursday night. Police chased the animal for about 15 minutes before it climbed a tree. A representative from the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries arrived with a dart gun to drug and capture the bear.
A bear was captured Sunday night in a courtyard behind The Daily News Leader and another bear was captured June 28 inside Gypsy Hill Park.
There also were recent sightings of a bear roaming through Montgomery Hall Park.
Virginia's bear population has grown by an estimated 37 percent since 2001.
Copyright AP - Associated Press
