Watch: Hungry black bear bends pole to reach Newnan bird feeder
The Birds and the Bears: Bear gets physical with a bird feeder
Senoia Police are warning residents about bear sightings after a particular bear got physical with a bird feeder. We spoke to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources to find out if we are hearing more about bear sightings lately. Doug Evans has the story.
COWETA COUNTY, Ga. - Wildlife officials are urging metro Atlanta residents to take down their bird feeders and secure outdoor food sources after multiple recent bear sightings in local neighborhoods.
Recent Coweta County bear sightings
What we know:
Residents in Senoia and Newnan spotted bears in their yards over the past couple of weeks. Donald Alderman, who lives in the Stonebridge subdivision of Newnan, captured nighttime video of a black bear bending a pole to eat from a bird feeder.
The Senoia Police Department also posted a video on Facebook of a bear in a local yard. Additionally, the Spalding County Sheriff's Office shared a photo of a bear caught on a home surveillance camera.
Reasons for the increased activity
Why you should care:
Georgia Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Biologist Blake Graber says bears are highly active from April through the end of October. Mother bears are actively searching for food to feed their cubs, and younger bears are foraging for themselves.
Bears are drawn to high-calorie residential resources when their natural food is harder to find.
Preventing neighborhood bear encounters
What you can do:
Graber recommends taking down bird feeders in the areas where there have been sightings. Residents should also secure trash cans, remove outdoor pet food, and clean outdoor grills to eliminate leftover smells.
If a bear does enter a yard, officials suggest making loud noises to scare the animal away. This process teaches the bear that the yard is not a safe place to return to.
Wildlife officials believe the number of sightings might be normal for this time of year. However, an increase in home surveillance cameras and social media sharing may be making the encounters seem more frequent.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from video provided by Newnan resident Donald Alderman, as well as statements from Georgia Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Biologist Blake Graber. Additional details were compiled from social media posts from local law enforcement.