FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Over the past few weeks in Forsyth County, many people have spotted a new neighbor, and they’re not sure he’s welcome.
They’ve seen a massive bear roaming around neighborhoods in Dawsonville, which is on the Forsyth/Dawson county line. People who live off Blue Ridge Overlook are even scared to get their mail.
“I was looking at the picture, and I’m, like, ‘Is that our front yard?’ He said, ‘Yeah.’ And I’m, like, ‘Oh my gosh,’” Rhonda Slayer said after a neighbor showed her a picture of the bear in her front yard.
Joshua Bennett said he saw the bear while driving.
“It looked like his thigh muscle was probably the size of my waist. It was pretty big,” Bennett said.
Dwayne Wilson believes he got a picture of the same bear on his surveillance camera.
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“Getting a picture of a bear behind your house is pretty exciting to me,” Wilson said.
But it’s also concerning to his young son.
“He won’t go in the woods anymore after seeing the pictures, might be a good thing,” Wilson said.
Channel 2's Justin Wilfon reached out to Georgia Department of Natural Resources about the bear.
While it may look alarming, DNR said bears usually want nothing to do with people, but officials also said to use caution and never approach the bear.
“If your dogs or children are left unwatched, it might be a concern,” Bennett said.
Neighbors believe bears are being driven from the woods by all the new home construction, which means they may need to get used to their new neighbor.
“I think they’re getting pushed out of their habitat,” Bennett said.
If you don’t want the bear to visit your house, DNR said to not leave your trash out too long and don’t feed your pets outside.
Cox Media Group
