A Georgia man has been arrested for fatally shooting a black bear that came near his home several times and scared his dogs, local officials say.
Late on May 15, an unnamed resident of the Bent Tree community, about 60 miles north of Atlanta, shot the mother bear from a window of his home, according to officials. The man said that the bear came near his home three times that night, scaring his dogs and tapping on the glass door of his home before he shot it.
During the bear’s first two visits, the man said he tried to scare off the bear by yelling, banging on his door and turning on his car alarm.
When the bear came back for the third time, the man said he became afraid for his safety and worried about the bear potentially breaking through his door.
Officials said the man shot at the bear’s behind to get it to leave. The bear ran off and was later found dead near the home by a person passing by.
The man said he did not know the bear was a mother or had seen the bear dead.
Before he struck the bear, the man asked an off-duty public safety worker if he could shoot it, officials said. The worker told him “no” and to call public safety for help. But officials never received a call from him about the bear before it was too late.
According to officials, the bear swiped the door once “in what appeared to be an attempt by the bear to keep the dogs away.”
Officials also attested that there were no signs of damage to the man’s door and that the bear always remained outside the home. Additionally, the bear could have been lured to the property by cat food and greasy grills.
The future of the two now-orphaned cubs is uncertain. They could be adopted by a new mother bear or captured by officials and taken to an approved facility.
As for the resident, he has been charged in connection with the shooting by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and cited for violations of Bent Tree community rules.
Black bears are the most common type of bear in North America. They can be found is forests, beaches and the alpine zone.
Black bears will eat almost anything and are able to identify food by both smell and appearance. They may spend up to six months in hibernation when the weather is cold and they can't hunt for food. The creatures can grow to about 5-feet-7-inches tall when standing upright, they can weigh upward of 400 pounds.
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