SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — A bear was hit and killed on Georgia 400 Tuesday morning.
The bear was found in a northbound lane past the Pitts Road Overpass in Sandy Springs.
Dunwoody Police Department posted on Facebook around 1 a.m. that it received two calls about a black bear spotted in Dunwoody Xing and East Kings Point Circle. It has not said if the two incidents were related.
"It's very normal in the spring to have bears moving around — especially young males, they tend to be on the move for the first time with mothers not protecting them anymore," Georgia Department of Natural Resources State Bear Biologist Adam Hammond said. "A lot of times they'll find their way into other areas where they're not commonly seen and one of those areas is the metro area."
Hammond said over time, they've seen bear populations grow in the mountains and expand their range into other areas.
"Seeing a bear in anywhere in the state is really not uncommon," Hammond added.
He encouraged everyone to follow the safety tips on BearWise.org to keep you and the bears out of danger.
"When people see a bear, they should just enjoy the sighting, give the bear some space," Hammond said. "We just ask folks to keep their things up and to try not to do anything to attract the bears. Hopefully, the bears will move on once they don't find any food there that keeps them there."
11Alive has reached out to Dunwoody and Sandy Springs Police Department for more information.
For alerts and information about travel conditions on Georgia highways, call 511 or visit www.511ga.org before heading out. Watch 11Alive Traffic Expert Crash Clark every weekday morning starting at 4:30 a.m. for the latest on metro Atlanta's roadways and how to get around.
News happens fast. Download our 11Alive News app for all the latest breaking updates, and sign up for our Speed Feed newsletter to get a rundown of the latest headlines across north Georgia.
MORE WAYS TO GET 11ALIVE
- Download our streaming app on Roku and Fire TV
- Download the 11Alive News mobile app
- Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
- Watch live streams on YouTube
- Look at our TV guide to see when we're airing on cable TV