Baltimore County police warned residents yesterday that a large black bear has been spotted in McDonogh Township in Owings Mills over the past several days.

Lt. John O'Brien of the Garrison Precinct said that officers on the midnight shift spotted the bear across the street from the police station in the 9700 block of Reisterstown Road -- less than two miles north of Pikesville -- a few nights ago.

He said they described the bear as 6 feet tall and more than 250 pounds.

Saturday afternoon, McDonogh Township residents spotted the bear near their condominiums and called police.

O'Brien said police notified Maryland Natural Resources Police and the agency said the bear had probably strayed from its normal range in Western Maryland and Southern Pennsylvania in search of food, and would probably return there.

O'Brien said DNR recognized the bear as the one seen in the Owings Mills area over the past few weeks.

O'Brien warned residents to call police if they spotted the bear.

John Surrick, a DNR spokesman, said the bear is probably a youngster whose mother has forced it out of her territory so it can establish its range of habitat. "It's a natural process with young bears and they often wander in areas populated with humans," he said.

Surrick said hunting bears in Maryland is prohibited.

Pub Date: 6/28/99