WHIGHAM, Ga. (WALB) - Farmers in Southwest Georgia are used to seeing wildlife on their lands. But black bear sightings? Not often. They’re becoming more frequent in Grady County.

Back in June, cattle farmer Jairam Queen got a call from his neighbor saying there was a black bear up in a tree overlooking his cattle farm. He decided to go live on Facebook to alert the community about what he was seeing. From there, residents reached out to Queen inquiring about the bear and how this situation should be addressed.

“This was not a grown bear, this was a cub. I could tell because of his size. He was a male bear, I could tell. He was sitting on the branch, and he had his legs open. He’s a male bear but he’s gonna be a big bear. Right now, he’s only 300lbs,” said Jairam Queen.

According to the DNR, black bear populations throughout Georgia are concentrated in three areas: the North Georgia mountains, Central Georgia, just south of Macon, and in the Okefenokee Swamp. Wildlife experts believe the bears spotted in Grady County came from the North Florida Panhandle.

“Male bears are wandering out, looking for mates. And also, females, they have yearling cubs. This is the time where they are kicking their yearlings out of her protection. So, at that point, they have to go out and find their place in the world,” said Drew Zellner, a wildlife biologist with the DNR.

For the cattle farmers, the DNR recommends using an electric fence to surround your cows since bears are highly sensitive to electricity. Additionally, they recommend removing any possible food sources from the property. Dirty grills, bird feed, and full trash cans are all things bears are attracted to.

“They are highly food motivated. So, the vast majority of the time, when you have these human-bear interactions, it’s really centered around food availability,” continued Zellner.

If you see a black bear near your property, don’t panic! But, the DNR keeps track of bear populations, so they would like to know about it. They ask that you call (229) 430-4254 for their Albany-based office to report your sighting.

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