A bear was spotted by a woman in Baltimore County on Monday, fire department officials said, but there was no contact between the bear and humans.

Just after 12:30 p.m., officials received a report of a “bear attack” near the area of Beckleysville Road and Gunpowder Road, which is to the west of the Prettyboy Reservoir in the Hereford Zone of Baltimore County.

However, when officials arrived, they discovered a woman had seen a bear, screamed to warn others, and tripped into some bushes while running away from the bear. She received treatment from emergency medical services for “minor” injuries but was not transported from the scene, Baltimore County Fire Department spokesperson Travis Francis said in an email.

“The bear never made contact,” the Fire Department said in a social media post.

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources confirmed a Baltimore City Department of Public Works employee encountered a black bear while working near the reservoir.

“The bear was startled and bluff charged the individual multiple times, and the individual reported attempting to fend off the bear,” DNR officials wrote on social media. “The bear moved off into the brush after some other people came into the area.”

If you see wildlife while out and about, the best thing to do is to remain calm and give the animal plenty of space.

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources says there are about 2,000 black bears living in Maryland, mostly to the west. Earlier this year, a black bear roamed around suburbs in Baltimore, Howard and Prince George’s counties, causing some local consternation.

A black bear is not an immediate threat, and state officials say it’s not uncommon for them to be seen in the central part of the state due to seasonal movements.

Here are some tips from DNR on what to do if you encounter a bear:

• Importantly: Don’t panic! Don’t shoot the bear and do not feed the bear.
• Use a “firm” voice to make sure the bear is aware of your presence.
• Move slowly and give the bear room to escape.
• Keep domestic animals and pets close by.
• Raise your arms above your head to appear large and back away slowly from the bear.
• If a bear is in a tree, leave it alone. A bear in a tree will usually leave once it feels safe to do so.
• If a bear is woofing, snapping its jaws, slapping the ground or brush, or bluffing charges, that means you are too close to the bear!

More resources and tips for navigating human-bear relations can be found on the DNR website.

The Banner’s Clara Longo de Freitas contributed to this article.