Thursday, June 12, 2025–10:30 a.m.
-David Crowder, WRGA News-
WZQZ Radio in Summerville reports that in recent weeks, residents in Chattooga County and neighboring Cherokee and DeKalb Counties in Alabama have experienced an increased number of black bear sightings.
According to Adam Hammond with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, bear sightings increase this time of year as young males emerge from their mothers’ dens.
“They are born in the den in winter, and then during that second den season, they are with their mother,” he said. “Then, when they emerge from the den that spring, she won’t protect them for much longer. So, they are going to go their separate ways, and she’s going to stop protecting them, and kind of force them out a little bit on their own. When that happens, they just move and they keep wandering, finding themselves in kind of some odd places.”
The DNR emphasizes that wild black bears typically avoid humans, but are often drawn to areas where they can easily access food.
Hammond stresses that eliminating food sources is crucial.
“The more times that bears are exposed to those human-provided foods, they start to lose their natural fear of people,” he said. “When they lose that fear, they start to change their behavior a little bit. They are more habituated to people. They start to avoid running as much. It’s just not a great combination. The best things that people can do for themselves and the bears are to make sure the bears to not have access to human-provided foods.”
So, what should you do if you see a bear?
“You don’t want to put yourself between the bear and where it wants to be,” Hammond said. “Not that it’s likely to create a big issue for safety, but it’s just not a smart move. We encourage people to keep their distance and give the bear space. Hopefully, in a situation like a bear is in town, if it doesn’t get into human-provided foods on a regular basis, it will keep moving.”
For more information and tips, visit BearWise.org.