As of Tuesday evening the bear is not tied to any injuries or damages.
Black bear sightings in Limestone County are causing concern among residents. Several people in Athens have reported seeing the animals near homes and wooded areas.
Marianne Gauldin from the Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division explained that black bears can be spotted anywhere in Alabama, especially as young bears leave their mothers.
"They鈥檙e likely to be seen anywhere, even in downtown Athens," Gauldin said. Athens resident Matthew Ray received a photo from a friend in Tanner, Alabama, showing a black bear in her backyard. This prompted him to be cautious while out in Athens.
"I鈥檓 just concerned for myself, you know, I鈥檓 walking over to get some pizza and I鈥檓 going to be on the lookout just in case," Ray said.
Kensley Watkins, another Athens resident, expressed surprise at the bear sightings.
"I鈥檝e lived here for 14 years and there鈥檚 never been an occurrence of bears. The only wildlife we鈥檝e ever had or seen is deer so this is really weird," Watkins said.
Gauldin advised that if you see a black bear, you should not approach, startle, or run from it. Instead, make yourself known to the animal by clapping, waving, or shouting to scare it away, ensuring it has a clear escape route.
To prevent bear interactions, Gauldin recommended removing attractants like open garbage, outdoor pet food, animal feeders, and food-scented grills.
With an estimated 350 to 450 black bears in Alabama, Gauldin noted sightings can be reported to the state. For more details, click .
AI assisted with the formatting of this story. Click here to see how 性视界传媒 uses AI.
Image courtesy of Kim Malone.
