NORTH FULTON COUNTY, Ga. — Alpharetta police have been getting reports of bear sightings in the city. They are urging people not to be alarmed, just be aware.
The neighborhoods of Alpharetta are not where you’d expect to see a bear come wandering through. But police say they have fielded several calls from people saying a bear was on their street.
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Zach Hudson heard about a bear roaming the neighborhood from his kids, who attend Alpharetta Elementary School. The school sent an email to parents.
“They just told us that the school got locked down because of the bear sighting.”
Nobody captured any photos of the bear.
Several calls about a bear came from the Lantern Ridge neighborhood in Alpharetta last Wednesday.
“The only thing I can think of, with all the construction, maybe they’re getting pushed out of their natural habitats. It’s definitely surprising,” Hudson said.
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WHAT TO DO IF YOU SEE A BEAR
Suburban sprawl does boost the chances of bear encounters. Capt. Jakai Braithwaite urges people to secure their trash, bird seed and pet food and to be smart.
“And please, by no means, don’t try to get close to the bear. Don’t try to get a selfie with it,” he said.
The Georgia Department of Natural Resources says bear sightings do spike in late spring and summer. That’s because young male bears are on the move, pushed out of their home range by older males -- and they’re looking for food sources.
The DNR says do not feed bears. And as long as you’re in a secure spot, you can make noises to scare them away so they don’t get comfortable in residential areas.
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