D.C.
Young black bear sighted in Northeast D.C.’s Brookland
Neighbors nicknamed it “Otis.”

By Claire Healy
May 8, 2024 at 5:27 p.m. EDT



Shireen Rose Shakouri photographed a black bear she spotted while walking her dog in Northeast D.C. on Wednesday. (Shireen Rose Shakouri)

Shireen Rose Shakouri was walking her dog in Northeast Washington’s Brookland neighborhood on Wednesday morning when she saw what she thought was a large, off-leash dog. As she got closer — and it turned to look at her — she captured a photo of a young black bear walking near 14th and Newton streets NE.

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Officials said they suspect it is the same bear that was seen roaming across Maryland in recent days and the subject of about half a dozen reports, according to Jonathan Trudeau, bear biologist for the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.

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By Claire Healy
Claire Healy is a newsroom copy aide at The Washington Post. She is the founder and editor of the magazine the Open (theopenintl.org). Twitter https://twitter.com/clurhealy