Residents in Buford should be on alert as a one-year-old bear cub has been sighted in the area of Robert Bell Parkway/Bona Road/Forest Street area.
Multiple readers confirmed the report of the bear sighting to the North Gwinnett Voice on Sunday, June 26 in the vicinity of Robert Bell Parkway. However, posts from the Nextdoor app said that the bear has been seen in the Shadburn Ferry Road and the Lake Lanier Islands areas as well.
Black bears can grow up to six feet in length and can weigh over 500 pounds. They can swim, climb trees and run as fast as 30 mph. They tend to have bad eyesight but an excellent sense of smell. While bears are generally scared off by dogs, they have been known to attack a dog before so it is best to err on the side of caution. Do not leave your pets unattended and unsecured.
According to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, here are six tips to help residents when it comes to black bears.
- Never intentionally feed or approach bears. Feeding bears will teach them to keep seeking out humans for food. Humans may scare bears and approaching one might cause the bear to attack a human.
- Do not leave out garbage in trash cans that are not considered bear proof. The odor of food in people’s trash can attract bears. Take trash down to the curb the day of trash collection.
- Remove any bird feeders when bears are active in the area. Just the smell of the feeder even when empty could attract a bear so completely remove the feeder to store inside.
- Do not leave any pet food outside as it is a very tempting treat for bears.
- Clean grills after each use and remove any grease, food particles and fat as the scent will lure in a bear.
- Alert your neighbors if a bear has been sighted in your area.
Once a bear no longer has any food sources in the area that they are in, they will typically move out of the area to find a new source of food in the matter of just a couple of days.
For more information on black bears from the Georgia DNR, visit georgiawildlife.com/bear-info.
Featured photo above: A one-year old bear cub was seen on Robert Bell Parkway in Buford. Photo courtesy of Staci Dombroski
