SANDY SPRINGS, GA — A large bear roaming a Sandy Springs neighborhood is raising concerns among residents after doorbell camera footage captured the animal taking a pumpkin from a family’s front porch.
The bear has been spotted in the Cameron Glen neighborhood, where Eric Richardson discovered one of his pumpkins was missing from his porch.
“So I pulled up the app on my phone and was very surprised when the thing I saw right there was a picture of a bear staring back at me,” Richardson said.
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His 10-year-old son, Brent Richardson, was also surprised to see the animal outside their home.
“The other week we had a deer stuck in our backyard, but I never seen a bear in our neighborhood before,” Brent said.
Several neighbors have reported seeing the bear in recent weeks, raising concerns about the safety of residents, children and pets.
Brent’s mother, Kathy Richardson, says seeing such a large animal in the neighborhood is unsettling.
“We are in a metro area. We do have pets and kids around and seeing big bears is disconcerting,” she said.
According to the family, neighbors have taken precautions by securing garbage cans and outdoor bird feeders.
Eric Richardson says he understands the importance of wildlife but questions whether the neighborhood is the best place for a bear.
“It’s a funny balance where of course we are around nature, we want nature to thrive, but also at some point this is maybe not the most productive place for a bear and people to exist,” Richardson said.
Wildlife officials say bears are more active this time of year as they increase their food intake ahead of winter hibernation.
Officials recommend securing trash and outdoor bird feeders to avoid attracting bears. They say the animals typically move on from an area after a few weeks.
WSB Radio’s Ashley Simmons & Jonathan O’Brien contributed to this story.