PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — A Portsmouth community is keeping a watchful eye after a black bear was spotted walking around the neighborhood.

The bear’s been seen close to homes in the Green Acres subdivision.

“Monday morning I was out walking with my friend and someone stopped us and said a bear had been spotted,” Lisa Percival said.

Percival didn’t want to speak on camera, but she said later that same day, she was driving in the neighborhood when suddenly she could barely believe her eyes.

“I freaked out,” Percival said. “I was thinking ‘oh my gosh, that’s the bear!’”

Another person snapped pictures of a bear in someone’s yard. Percival said the bear appeared large and unbothered.  

“He was just walking, just moseying. He didn’t have a care in the world,” she said. “As soon as the bear saw me, he turned and walked right into a driveway towards the water.”

Since then, a bear has been spotted multiple times, as recently as Tuesday. While we were in the neighborhood, a resident showed us what looks like fresh bear tracks in a driveway. 

Dan Rozier said the sightings are unsettling.

“We have people that walk their dogs in the morning and we have the children that go to school,” he said. “My dog stays in the house all day now.”

The next time there’s a bear spotted, neighbors said they hope it’s with animal control.

“People said well maybe he’s gone. Maybe he is but maybe he’s not,” Rozier said “Sooner or later, it’s going to cause a problem.”

Animal control has been called out to the neighborhood several times but they haven’t been able to find the bear.

If you see the bear, don’t approach it and call animal control.