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Bear spotted outside Fulton County Jail

FULTON COUNTY, Ga. — An unusual visitor -- a black bear -- was poking around the Fulton County Jail early Friday morning.

Images taken just after 2 a.m. show the bear hanging out near the front entrance of the northwest Atlanta jail.

“No one knows where the animal came from,” spokeswoman Tracy Flanagan said in a statement.

She said the bear looked at the trashcans and approached the front door before wandering away.

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"I was a little surprised, but I guess nothing surprises me anymore in this world," Lauran Graham said.

The Georgia Department of Natural Resources was notified, and jail staff reportedly contacted residents in the nearby Howell Station neighborhood.

Jail officials said residents should keep their children and pets close, secure trash and call 911 if they see the bear.

Information from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution was used in this report.