One of Scott Anna's photographs of a bear spotted near his Blairsville home.
BLAIRSVILLE, Ga - North Georgia's "Bear Whisperer" has gone up close and personal with dozens of black bears who saunter through his Blairsville property on a regular basis.
"People in this part of the northeast Georgia mountains call me the bear guy," said Scott Anna.
Anna, a bear fanatic and amateur photographer, has snapped off thousands of pictures of the black bear that roam around his property near Vogel State Park in Union County. More than 5 acres of woods surround his house where Anna sees bear on a daily basis during some times of the year.
"People who have lived here a long time know we pretty much coexist with the bears," said Anna. "I see them as beautiful creatures."
Just last week, a neighbor called Anna to tell him a female black bear was camping out in a tree in her backyard. The result was some of the best pictures he's ever taken.
"She'd been chased up the tree by dogs," said Anna. "By the time I got there, it was relaxed and calm. I would make noises and talk to it gently in a non-threatening manner. The bear would look at me."
When Anna was a 12-year-old living in New York, he and a friend spotted a bear cub in a tree. It turned into a frightening moment that sparked his interest in black bears.
"Boys will be boys, we decided to tease the bear cub," said Anna. "Then we heard the mama bear. It chased us to my friend's backdoor. She was just saying 'leave my cub alone.' I learned what respect meant."
Although Anna will sometimes get as close as 15-feet to a bear, he says he's never felt threatened.
"They'll stomp their paws and making a growling noise at you," said Anna. "That's saying 'this is my property.' I'm not going to go pat them on the head. I never lose sight that they're wildlife. I'm living in their backyard."
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