The arrival of spring in Georgia not only means suffering through the fog of pollen, but the possibility of seeing a black bear as it comes out of hibernation.
This fact of life apparently occurred Monday at Leone Hall Price Park in Cobb County. That’s according to the Friends of Price Park’s Facebook page, which alerted its followers on Tuesday that a mother bear and her cub were seen at the park on Stilesboro Road in Kennesaw.
"The hiker is very experienced and we are certain it's not an April Fool's Day sighting, even though they were spotted on April 1," the group said. "It was a real sighting. You can see the tracks. Someone who knows bear tracks verified same."
The group said the pair were seen on 117 acres of land on the northside of Stilesboro Road near the park’s restroom. It’s possible, Friends of Price Park said, that the bears were “disrupted from their habitat” by the clearing of 40 acres of land next to the park that fronts Mars Hill Road.
“The land is being cleared for development and they could have lived there for years and no one would have spotted them,” the group said.
Cobb County spokesman Ross Cavitt said it received reports of bear sightings at the park. However, Cobb parks officials who were dispatched to the park did not see any bears “nor typical signs of a bear.”
According to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources' Wildlife Resources Division, black bears have been hibernating since Thanksgiving up until the spring. Bodily functions such as eating and drinking were put on "sleep mode while they endure the cold temperatures and harsh winter weather conditions."
Now that the bears are out and hunting for food, residents are encouraged to take the following steps provided by BearWise to reduce interactions with these animals:
- Do not feed or approach bears
- Secure food, garbage and recycling
- Remove bird feeders when bears are active
- Do not leave pet food outdoors
- Clean and store grills
- Let neighbors know of bear sightings.
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