The Bear Facts
Linda Soller | Jun 16, 2025
On Monday June 9, 2025, Elden (nickname from Herndon Police) a juvenile black bear made his way to a tree in the older part of downtown Herndon, Va. He had started his journey in Silver Spring Maryland. It’s very hard to believe he intentionally headed to our town. But in the early 1900’s it was a vacation escape for the city folk in Washington, DC. So maybe he did? Regardless of his intentions, he ended up in the tree about eight in the morning and there he stayed all day. He was clearly frustrated, and scared. He was most likely hungry and thirsty. He was also surrounded by people staring at him. Elden was in an uncomfortable place in his life.
Have you ever been in such a place? Maybe not a tree, but a place in the sense of not being where you expected physically, mentally, or emotionally. If you have then you know it may have been an accident that brought you there, or maybe a loss, or possibly you were there as a result of your own bad choices. Only you will really know what brought you to that place. But what we all know is that having people watching you is not helpful. You don’t really want to be the topic of conversation. You don’t think people need to feel pity for you or watch your every move. What you need is understanding, support, and kindness.
Elden didn’t need or want the crowd around him either. He needed help and support to get him safely back in the wild. He got his help through the professionals who showed up to keep him safe and help him out of downtown Herndon. Your help may come from a variety of places depending on your situation, but for certain you can reach out to God. You can find a family of faith who will support you. With time and kindness and maybe even healing you can come back down from your uncomfortable perch to your normal place in the world, maybe an even better place than you were in before.
Be strong in the Lord and be kind!
Linda
PS – a big thank you to the Herndon Police and the Wildlife experts for a job well done. Good luck Elden !
