COBB COUNTY, Ga. — A Cobb County woman is warning neighbors to take precautions after an outdoor camera captured video of a bear roaming through her driveway.
The video was captured in an East Cobb neighborhood around 6:15 p.m. The woman didn't wish to share her name, but did hope to make sure her community was aware. So she shared the video online.
She said she was home at the time and initially thought it was a cat. Still, curious, however, she checked her camera about 30 minutes later and saw the bear. The video shows a bear roaming past a couple of trashcans and out of sight.
The moment captured was fairly harmless, but she said her concern is for neighbors - especially those with kids who might decide to get too close.
"My thoughts were kids who love bears would want to run up and touch the bear," she said. "Even the non-aggressive ones can get startled and snap."
As for this particular bear, she said it appears to be on the move since she hasn't seen it since Sunday evening. However, she said the Georgia Department of Natural Resources has been notified.
Bear sightings aren't uncommon in Georgia but sometimes cause issues in heavily populated areas - especially if they become too accustomed to people.
As such, the DNR has a handful of tips to help keep them from visiting your yard.
The biggest tips revolve around keeping anything they would see as food locked up. This includes securing food, garbage, and recycling, removing bird feeders when not in use and never leaving pet food outdoors.
But it also involves keeping things like grills clean to make sure the scent of the previous day's cookout doesn't bring an unexpected guest.
Other steps, like not approaching or feeding bears, are also important.
And, as this Cobb resident did, make sure to alert neighbors of bear activity.