Latest news with #BentTree
Miami Herald
25-05-2025
- Miami Herald
Bear cubs safely caught after mother killed in GA, officials say. ‘Miraculous'
Two bear cubs were found and safely captured days after officials said their mother was shot dead by a resident in Georgia. 'The chances of them both being caught together like that are nothing short of miraculous,' Bent Tree Safety & Emergency Management said in a May 22 post on Facebook. According to the agency, a passerby reported seeing what looked like a dead mother bear with the two bear cubs May 16 in the Oglethorpe Mountain Road area. Investigators later learned that a resident fired a gun at the bear, officials said in a May 21 Facebook post. The man said the bear came to his home twice May 15 and that he felt unsafe and shot at it on its third visit, according to officials. The man said he had tried to scare the bear away the first two times, officials said. He texted a video of the bear swiping his door to an off-duty Bent Tree Public Safety employee and asked if he could shoot the bear, officials said. The employee said to not shoot the bear and advised him to call Public Safety to scare it away, officials said, adding that what likely attracted the bear to the man's home were food items, including cat food and unclean grills. Charges related to the shooting were filed against the man, who was not publicly identified, officials said. Bear cubs found safe Since the death of the mother bear, neighbors had been reporting sightings of the bear cubs, but as they started to decrease, officials became worried and set up traps to try and capture them, according to a May 22 post by the agency. The cubs were found in one of the traps at about 7:45 p.m. May 22, officials said. 'As you can see, they are enjoying each other's company,' officials said in a post with a photo of the cubs in a large cage. The Georgia Department of Natural Resources agreed to take custody of the cubs and relocate them to a wildlife preserve, officials said. 'Although we would have loved for these cubs to be Bent Tree bears, this is now the best option for them,' officials wrote in the post. 'We will never forget about these special cubs.' Bent Tree Safety & Emergency Management is based out of Jasper, about a 60-mile drive north from Atlanta.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Yahoo
Orphaned bear cubs safely caught in north GA mountains
A north Georgia community shared some good news in the search for two orphaned bear cubs. Both of them were caught safely Thursday night, almost a week after their mother was shot and killed by a homeowner in Pickens County. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] The Bent Tree Safety & Emergency Management said the cubs hadn't been spotted since Monday and neighbors became 'increasingly concerned.' DNR set up two small traps Thursday in the area where the cubs were known to frequent. The cubs were safely captured around 7:45 p.m. 'The chances of them both being caught together like that are nothing short of miraculous,' according to Bent Tree. TRENDING STORIES 'It changed me': Undocumented GA college student talks about being in ICE custody for 15 days Memorial Day weekend: Best and worst times to travel, airport construction and gas prices Mercedes-Benz to move North American corporate headquarters to Sandy Springs The Georgia Department of Natural Resources now has custody of the cubs and will look into take them to a wildlife preserve for rehabilitation. 'Although we would have loved for these cubs to be Bent Tree bears, this is now the best option for them. We will never forget about these special cubs,' Bent Tree officials said. A Georgia DNR spokesperson said game wardens have charged the homeowner with killing a bear out of season. The Bent Tree Safety & Emergency Management said it cited the homeowner for violating its rules and regulations. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
The Independent
22-05-2025
- The Independent
Man arrested for killing a black bear that repeatedly came near his home and scared his dogs
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.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Yahoo
Man charged in death of mother bear in Pickens County community
The Brief A North Georgia resident is facing charges for shooting a bear near his home in Pickens County, with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources filing charges and citing community rule violations. The resident admitted to shooting the bear after it visited his home multiple times, agitating his dogs, and claimed he feared for his safety; he was advised not to shoot the bear but did not call public safety for assistance. Investigators found no damage to the property and noted potential bear attractants, such as cat food and greasy grills, which may have drawn the bear to the area. PICKENS COUNTY, Ga. - A North Georgia resident is facing charges following the deadly shooting of a bear near his home in the Bent Tree community in Pickens County, authorities confirmed this week. SEE ALSO: Mother bear killing in Pickens County sparks investigation, community outcry What we know According to the community's official public safety Facebook page, the incident happened on the night of May 15, but it wasn't until the next morning that a passerby spotted the dead bear near Oglethorpe Mountain Road. Officials said the body was discovered roughly 75 to 100 feet from the shooter's residence, with two cubs seen nearby. The Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has filed charges against the resident, who has not been publicly named. The individual has also been cited for violations of Bent Tree community rules. Dig deeper According to Bent Tree Public Safety, the resident admitted to shooting the bear with a .22 caliber firearm from a side window of his home around 10 p.m. on May 15. He told investigators the bear had visited his home three times that evening, each time agitating his dogs and tapping on his glass door. The resident said he initially tried to scare the bear by banging on the door, and using his car alarm. On its third visit, he claimed he feared for his safety and fired a shot at the bear's rear to drive it off. The man showed officials a video recorded earlier that evening, which depicted the bear standing on the edge of his porch with an empty cat food bowl in front of it. The bear swiped at the door once while the resident's dogs barked from inside. Roughly 45 minutes before the reported shooting, the resident texted the video to an off-duty public safety employee, asking if he could shoot the animal. He was told he could not shoot the bear and was advised to call public safety for assistance. No such call was made, and the shooting went unreported until the following day. Officials said there was no visible damage to the resident's property and confirmed that the bear never entered the home. Investigators also noted the presence of potential bear attractants on the property, including cat food, greasy grills, and other debris. What we don't know The exact wound location on the bear has not been disclosed. The resident claimed he was unaware the bear had cubs. The name of the homeowner has not been released. Click to open this PDF in a new window. What you can do Authorities remind residents that while bears in the area are typically non-aggressive, they are wild animals. The community is encouraged to visit for tips on safely coexisting with local wildlife. The Source The Bent Tree Safety and Emergency Management is the source for this article. FOX 5 has also reached out to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources for comment.
