Another North Alabama bear sighting: Decatur residents spy bear in backyard

DECATUR, Ala. (WHNT) — Decatur’s Modaus Road is no stranger to black bears, as Austin High and Austin Middle School are both located in that area.

But it’s not often a live black bear, not just a mascot dressed in orange, is seen roaming in people’s backyards in that area. However, that is exactly what happened to Decatur residents Tuesday morning.

A video sent to News 19 shows a black bear in the yard of a home off Modaus Road. You can see the video of the bear below:

The Decatur Police Department said that officers, along with game wardens, responded to the bear sighting.

This is the latest of many black bear sightings in North Alabama. A bear was seen in June in Huntsville, one was spotted in Athens, then another was seen last week in the Tuscumbia area.

Bears are a natural part of Alabama’s wildlife landscape.

According to Marianne Gauldin, a biologist with the Alabama Wildlife and Fisheries Division, May through late July is when bears are their most active and more likely to be seen statewide.

“If they’re behaving normally, they won’t approach you, and if you don’t have an attractant out for them, they typically won’t stick around for long,” she said.

Officials say you should never feed or approach a bear, and you should also make sure to secure outside items like food or garbage that might attract a bear.

“Bears are attracted to anything that would attract a raccoon,” Gauldin said. “So think about it….anything that you leave outside that a raccoon would approach, a bear would approach. This includes pet food, left outside trash, left outside bird feeders, even a summertime grill that smells like hot dogs.”

If you’re immediate reaction is to quietly sneak away, Gauldin said you should actually do the opposite. 

“Make sure that it sees you too,” she said. “Clap your hands, wave your arms above your head, and holler at it.”

She said the tactic of “playing dead” does not apply to black bears.