---
title: A Mama Bear and Cubs Moved Into a Marylander’s Yard. UMD Researchers Stepped in to Help.
date: 2026-07-17T10:15:00-04:00
author: University of Maryland
canonical_url: "https://today.umd.edu/a-mama-bear-and-cubs-moved-into-a-marylanders-yard-umd-researchers-stepped-in-to-help"
section: Articles
---
# A Mama Bear and Cubs Moved Into a Marylander’s Yard. UMD Researchers Stepped in to Help.

*July 17, 2026* — by [Maryland Today Staff](/author/maryland-today-staff)


> A state team assesses health, tracks populations to protect bear and human communities

[Protecting Maryland's Black Bears](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3Z4M5sztOA)



From slurping water on a Gaithersburg homeowner’s deck to moseying around an Elkridge backyard, bear sightings seem to be on the rise in Maryland.

A [University of Maryland Department of Environmental Science and Technology](https://www.linkedin.com/company/department-of-environmental-science-and-technology-umd?trk=public_post-text) research team led by Associate Professor [Jennifer Mullinax](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-mullinax-2016566a?trk=public_post-text) is partnering with the [Maryland Department of Natural Resources](https://www.linkedin.com/company/marylanddepartmentofnaturalresources?trk=public_post-text) and the [Maryland Zoo](https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-maryland-zoo-in-baltimore?trk=public_post-text) to determine how many black bears are in the state, where they’re coming from, where they’re headed and their paths in between.

In this new video from the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, watch the team assess the health of a bear and her cubs who had made a den under an old bulldozer in Garrett County while collecting valuable data that improves our understanding of black bear populations and helps protect both bears and the general public.




**Topics:** [Research](https://today.umd.edu/tags/research)


**Tags:** [Environmental Science and Technology](https://today.umd.edu/topic/environmental-science-and-technology), [Research](https://today.umd.edu/topic/research)


**Units:** [College of Agriculture and Natural Resources](https://today.umd.edu/topic/college-agriculture-and-natural-resources)