A young black bear wandering through a Smyrna neighborhood has residents on alert after newly obtained security video captured the animal walking through a backyard, approaching a home and briefly climbing onto the side of the house.
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The encounter happened over the weekend in the Carrington Park subdivision near Cottesford Drive and Windy Hill Road.
The security camera video shows the bear strolling through a backyard before walking up to the back of a home, climbing onto the house for a few moments and then wandering away.
Following the sighting, Smyrna police drove through the neighborhood Sunday to alert residents and encourage them to stay vigilant.
“I was out pressure washing, and then maybe an hour later, I came back and saw him running through the back,” neighbor Paul Gilmour told Channel 2 Action News.
Several neighbors said they never imagined seeing a black bear in their own subdivision.
“You would expect that up in the mountains, up north of Ellijay,” neighbor Tim Agee said.
For David Opp, the sighting has changed his daily routine.
“I’m taking a good look out the back window before we let them outside, and then using the leash out here in the front yard,” Opp said.
Opp said he didn’t see the bear the first time it passed through the neighborhood, so he installed a camera near the woods behind his home to monitor for any future visitors.
“I put a camera back there on the backside of that fence to monitor anything walking back there in the woods. So if something comes by, I’ll see it,” he said.
Gilmour also said he’s changed the way he lets his dogs outside.
“She’s on a leash on the front, but the other two are kept locked up,” he said.
While black bears are uncommon in metro Atlanta, wildlife experts say young bears can travel long distances while searching for food or establishing new territory.
Smyrna police said there have been no additional reported bear sightings since the weekend.
A police spokesperson told Channel 2 Action News that officers are following guidance from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, which recommends leaving the bear alone so it can continue moving through the area on its own. DNR does not respond to bear sightings alone.
Police are asking anyone who sees the bear to keep a safe distance and report the sighting. They also recommend removing potential food sources, including unsecured trash, pet food and bird feeders, to reduce the chances of attracting wildlife.
Despite the unexpected visitor, neighbors are hoping the bear continues on its way.
“Coyotes, yes. Stray cats, yes. Never a big bear,” Gilmour said.
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