BALTIMORE (WJZ) Two people fishing in Liberty Reservoir this past weekend got quite the surprise when they spotted a bear swimming in the water.

It was a fishing trip Ben Orlando wont soon forget.

At first I didnt know what it was, he said. It just looked a little odd.

Upon further inspection, it turned out to be a black bear swimming across the Liberty Reservoir.

I wound up getting my camera out and I started to record it, Orlando said. The main thing was, I wanted to see how big it was.

Orlando estimates the bear was upward of 250 lbs.

We spent a lot of time out there, and weve never seen anything like it before, Orlando said.

The video was posted on the Fishing Liberty Reservoir Facebook page where its been shared more than 600 times.

It was just a nice event, it was good that I was able to share it so that other people could see it, Orlando said.

Sgt. Smith, with the Baltimore Environmental Police, says black bears arent common in the area but they do, from time to time, make their way to the reservoir.

Theyre exploring, just widening their area of range, Smith said. Sometimes, it may be a young cub trying to find a proper suitor.

Smith says if you should see a bear, its best to keep your distance.

I thought it was pretty cool, it was nice, Orlando said. Obviously black bears in the area, he wanted nothing to do with us. He just wanted to be on his way.

See the article here:

Take A Look! | Black Bear Spotted Swimming In Liberty Reservoir - CBS Baltimore