A Sandy Springs resident is asking neighbors to think twice about what they leave outdoors overnight after security cameras recorded a black bear tipping over a bird feeder to eat.
It is another indication that bear sightings are reaching well beyond Georgia's mountain communities, as CBS News Atlanta reported.
What happened?
In the Mountaire Springs community, homeowner Kathy Mowery said the animal in the video was not the first bear she has noticed in the area in recent years.
She also said construction has become more common nearby. In the footage, the bear knocks over bird feeders and eats the seed inside.
According to Blake Graber, an urban wildlife biologist with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, this is the part of the year when young black bears separate from their mothers and start seeking territory, often traveling south from the North Georgia mountains.
Food left in yards can make that search easier. As Graber explained to CBS News Atlanta, birdseed is "really a high-calorie food source for them. If they seek it out, it's because they've had it before, and they know they can get a good, quick, free lunch out of it."
TCD Picks » Good Store Spotlight
Get 10% off your next purchase with code TCD10
Why does it matter?
As human development expands, wildlife habitat shrinks even as neighborhoods provide easy food sources that pull animals closer to people.
Encounters like this also reflect how neighborhoods are expanding, how construction reshapes animal movement, and how everyday habits can train bears to come back. Bird feeders and unsecured trash are top targets that can prompt repeat visits.
That can raise concerns about pets, property damage, and safety, even though black bears are not typically aggressive. Repeated access to human food can also make conflict more likely.
What can I do?
Georgia wildlife officials say the most effective response is also one of the simplest, as CBS News Atlanta explained. Homeowners can remove the temptations that bring bears to their homes. The Georgia DNR advises residents to put bird feeders away from spring through fall.
TCD Picks » Quince Spotlight
💡These best-sellers from Quince deliver affordable, sustainable luxury for all
Residents can also secure trash cans so they do not become another easy meal. Once bears learn a neighborhood is a reliable stop, they may keep returning.
If a bear does enter a yard, the DNR says people should use loud noises or a garden hose spray to push it away rather than panicking or approaching it.
The goal is to keep bears from associating neighborhoods with food in the first place.
"Black bears are kind of just like a big raccoon," Graber said to CBS News Atlanta. "They're pretty timid, pretty docile animals."
Get TCD's free newsletters for easy tips, smart advice, and a chance to earn $5,000 toward home upgrades. To see more stories like this one, change your Google preferences here.
