Black Bear Spotted In Gwinnett Back Yard

DULUTH, GA — A black bear looking for a snack was spotted in the back yard of a Gwinnett County residence on Monday.

It's the most recent in a string of bear sightings in the area recently.

Duluth Police were called Monday to the residence off of Peachtree Industrial Boulevard near Howell Ferry Road. They said the bear appeared to have been attracted to the yard by seed in a bird feeder.

Photos from the police department show the bear trying to get into the feeder.

It was unclear Tuesday how police planned to address the situation but, in a Facebook post, they said the bear was able to elude officers.

Monday's visit was the most recent of several bear sightings in Gwinnett County in the past few weeks. A little less than a month ago, Gwinnett County Police were called to reports of a bear running around in a warehouse area in Norcross.

That bear eventually ran away into some woods during the incident at OFS Fitel, a communications and fiber optics company near Jimmy Carter Boulevard and Interstate 85.

Bears also have been seen in back yards this month in Sugar Hill and another home in Duluth.

According to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, black bears in the state are typically found in the North Georgia mountains, along the Ocmulgee River drainage system in the central part of the state and in the Okefenokee Swamp in the southeast.

But they can range further in search of food, the DNR says. Young male bears also will roam large areas until they're able to establish their territory.

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 offers some advice on keeping bears away and what to do if you see one:

• Never feed a bear. Keep items such as grills, pet food and bird feeders off-limits to bears. Clean and store grills when not in use. Keep pet food indoors and take down bird feeders from April to November if bears frequent your area.
• Use "bear-proof" garbage containers, or store garbage in the garage or another enclosed area until the morning of pick-up day.
• Leave all bears alone. Usually they are only passing through an area.
• Stay a safe distance away. Do not try to approach a bear.
• Never, under any circumstances, intentionally feed a bear.
• Never attempt to "tree" or corner a bear as it compromises the safety and welfare of both the public and the bear.

"Unless there is evidence of aggressive behavior or habituation to people, there is no cause for alarm," said Adam Hammond, state bear biologist with the Wildlife Resources Division.

Photo courtesy Duluth Police Department