Atlanta Black Bear Caught, Moved To North Georgia

ATLANTA, GA — A wild black bear who was making the rounds in the heart of downtown Atlanta has been caught and moved to friendlier surroundings in north Georgia.

The out-of-place ursine was first seen nosing around Fulton County Jail early Friday morning and more recently was spotted around the College Park MARTA station. That's where Georgia Department of Natural Resources officials found him at about 6:15 a.m. Monday.

He was tranquilized using a dart Monday morning and relocated somewhere in the north Georgia woods, where he won't be such a bother, Monday afternoon, said DNR spokeswoman Melissa Cummings.

Officials believe the bear they captured is the same one that's been reported all over south Fulton County and College Park in the past few days. Cummings said that while a bear in the big city is certainly unusual, this is the time of year when such sightings are most likely.

"This time of year is not necessarily a surprise to see bears outside of their traditional range," in the north Georgia mountains, she said. "In the spring, most bears encountered outside of established range are young male bears looking for their own territory as they are no longer under the protection of a sow.

"However, in some cases it may be sows with cubs or other mature bears venturing into new territory in search of a home and a steady source of food. If left alone, bears typically will return to established bear range."

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Early Friday morning, a vendor captured photos of the bear moseying around the jail – on Rice Street in downtown Atlanta — snooping in trashcans and planters and approaching the front door before wandering away.

This year, Georgia Department of Natural Resources officials reported that black bears were being spotted as early as March — much earlier than usual. They say that as development brings urban and suburban areas into once-rural settings, it's natural that more bears will be seen roaming around.

Black bears are the only bears found in Georgia and are a high priority in the state's conservation strategy. While they are now the most common bear in North America, black bears were nearly eradicated from Georgia in the 1930s due to unregulated market hunting, poaching and large-scale habitat loss.

There are no recorded bear attacks on humans in Georgia, and no fatalities, the DNR says. There have only ever been two documented fatal black bear attacks in the Southeastern United States, according to the department.

The DNR now estimates there are about 5,100 black bears living in Georgia.

They may be legally hunted in the fall in certain areas, but killing bears any other time or in an area that is not approved is considered poaching and is illegal. Georgians are encouraged to report any illegal bear hunting they know about.

To learn more about living responsibly with bears in Georgia, visit the DNR's Web page on the topic or watch this video.

Photos of tranquilized bear in transport to north Georgia courtesy Georgia Department of Natural Resources. Photos of bear at Fulton County Jail courtesy Fulton County Sheriff's Office.