A young black bear looking for a home visited the University of Maryland campus over the weekend and has been spotted elsewhere in Prince George's and Montgomery counties, says a wildlife expert.

The year-old bear has spent the past month in eastern Maryland, also wandering through Howard County, where it hit the driving range and climbed a tree last week at the Timbers at Troy golf course in Elkridge. On Monday, the bear was seen in the Hyattsville area, and Maryland bear biologist Harry Spiker says the young bear needs to head back to western counties to be safe.

Typically, Maryland's bear population is concentrated in the western part of the state — Washington, Allegany, Frederick and Garrett counties — and most bears stay within a 10 to 25-mile radius of where they live. However, baby bears may roam up to 200 miles in a process called "dispersing" in which they try to find their own territory, natural resources officials say. Get Patch's daily newsletter and real-time news alerts, or like us on Facebook. Spiker says the roving bear has even stopped traffic on Interstate 70 and Route 29.

"It seems to have learned to navigate the highway well," Spiker told Montgomery Community Media. "It needs to turn west and head that direction," he said. Spiker said black bears can be active day or night. They rest for a while and move on looking for food.

If you encounter a bear, you should treat it like a stray dog. "Give it plenty of space, don't corner it," Spiker said.

Black bear sightings in the state are most common in eastern Maryland in June and July.

After dispersing, young bears usually settle in places with established bear populations in western Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia, according to the Maryland Wildlife and Heritage Service. People are advised not to feed bears and if they see them, to give the animals their space and leave them alone. Bears typically shy away from human contact.