SHELBY, N.C. -- Neighbors in Shelby woke up to quite the sight Sunday morning: a black bear running through the streets and climbing trees.
"People just breezed through the driveway here and said 'have you seen the bear?'" said Tina Watson. "And I'm like 'what bear?'"
It didn't harm anyone, but it was enough to put Watson on edge.
"Real Scary, yeah, absolutely scary," Watson said.
Danny Ray with the N.C. Wildlife Commission says we better start getting used to it.
"We are seeing more and more bears in the Piedmont of North Carolina and in urban areas of North Carolina," Ray said.
So, he wanted to share some safety tips. If you see a bear and a bear sees you, clap your hands, make lots of noise and back away slowly while still facing it.
"Certainly don't want to run and initiate that response it might have to chase you or follow you," Ray said.
Keep your pets and pet food inside because Ray says a fence is nothing to a bear. In fact, Ray says it can even try to bust into your car if it smells food in there.
"They can rip a car door open if they want to to get something inside," Ray said.
Ray wants to emphasize that bears aren't trying to hurt people or their pets, they're simply looking for food. Regardless, it's not something Watson ever thought she'd have to deal with.
"Not a bear in Shelby, no, not at all," Watson said.
Police and Animal Control didn't trap or shoot the bear here Sunday, they just stayed with it while it safely made its way out of town. But neighbors know a return visit is still a possibility.
That video of the bear was sent to us by Lem Lynch Photography.
Other Stories To Click On:
