A black bear caught on security camera knocking over bird feeders in the Mountaire Springs community is one of at least two bear sightings in Sandy Springs during the week of July 14, prompting Georgia Department of Natural Resources officials to remind residents: take down the feeders.
Kathy Mowery, a Mountaire Springs homeowner, told CBS Atlanta the bear wandered through her yard and knocked over a bird feeder, eating the seed inside. It's the second bear she has spotted in the neighborhood in recent years. Mowery said construction has become increasingly common in the area.
A separate family on Angus Trail also captured a bear on their security cameras that same week, according to WSB-TV. No damage or injuries were reported.
Blake Graber, an urban wildlife biologist with the Georgia DNR, said summer is when young black bears leave their mothers and begin searching for territory, often traveling south from the North Georgia mountains. Graber said continued development and population growth across metro Atlanta are shrinking habitat and pushing wildlife closer to people. A young black bear was also spotted in the Carrington Park subdivision in Smyrna the same week, where it walked through a yard and briefly climbed onto the side of a house, according to WSB-TV.
"It's really a high-calorie food source for them," Graber told CBS Atlanta, referring to bird feeders. "If they seek it out, it's because they've had it before, and they know they can get a good, quick, free lunch out of it."
Despite the recent sightings, Graber said black bears are not typically aggressive. He described them as timid and docile, and said that asserting your presence on your own property is usually enough to send one on its way.
What residents should do
The Georgia DNR recommends these steps to reduce the chances of attracting bears:
- Remove bird feeders from spring through fall.
- Secure trash cans and avoid leaving them outside overnight.
- If a bear enters your yard, make loud noises or spray it with a garden hose.
- Contact the Georgia DNR if a bear wanders into an area where it does not belong.
Graber said anyone who encounters a bear can call the Georgia DNR for assistance. The agency's BearWise program offers additional safety guidance.
