‘John the Johns Creek Bear’ seen ambling past police department

It isn't immediately known if John is best bear buds with the aquatic ursidae seen swimming through Alpharetta's Lake Windward in July.

Alpharetta said in mid-April that bear sightings had begun for the season of seeking food after their long slumber.

"They aren't interested in us and our lives," Melissa Cummings, a spokeswoman with the wildlife division of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, said at the time.

Cummings said DNR refers people to the BearWise organization for tips about how to handle bears.

According to BearWise, male bears have home ranges of up to 300 square miles, but for female bears it's usually no more than 50 square miles.

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Cummings said people can stay safe and make their “yards as unattractive as possible to the bears, meaning there’s no easily accessible food,” with the following tips:

1. Don’t feed or approach bears

2. Secure food, garbage and recycling

3. Remove bird feeders and loose bird feed this time of year

4. Don’t leave pet food outdoors

5. Clean and store grills

6. Alert neighbors to bear activity

Also, don’t do this:

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