JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — It may be getting a bit cooler around Atlanta, but apparently one bear isn't ready to head into hibernation just yet.
Johns Creek Police a very clear photo of a bear that appears to be exploring someone's yard on Friday. The bear was spotted in the area of Alvin and Haynes Bridge roads.
And while it may be a surprise for some in the area, police are urging people to leave the creature alone.
"Please remember the bear is in its natural habitat and DO NOT DISTURB HIM," the department's Officer Rowe wrote on the station's Facebook account.
He also recommended that residents remove things that might attract bears like bird feeders and full trash cans.
"Please remove these items when not in use," he said.
Black bear spottings in Johns Creek aren't particularly uncommon with the police department issuing similar warnings regularly during the warmer months as bear sightings increase.
According to a note from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, there are about 5,100 black bears across the state. Males can weight a whopping 500 pounds and females can weigh up to 300 pounds.
They can also climb trees, swim well and run at about 30 mph. The Georgia DNR reports that, despite having these abilities and the fact that they're omnivorous (meaning they'll eat a lot of things) there have been no reports of black bears attacking or killing people in Georgia. And there have only been two fatal attacks recorded in the entire Southeast as of 2018.
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