News

Officials capture one bear, another remains at large

  • Published
  • By Wayne Crenshaw
  • 78th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. --  The Department of Natural Resources captured a black bear last week in the area between Chief's Circle and fairways 13 and 14 of the Pine Oaks Golf Course.

The yearling male bear was likely the source of recent bear sightings near Pine Oaks Lodge and Robins Parkway near Martin Luther King Drive, said Bob Sargent, base natural resource manager. The bear was caught in a trap made from a culvert pipe and relocated to the Ocmulgee Wildlife Management Area near Cochran.

However, another female bear with at least one cub might still be in the area of Marchbanks Road, Sargent said. There are no immediate plans to try to capture that bear because, unlike the male, it is avoiding people and has not been a nuisance. It's also difficult to catch a mother and cub together, and they wouldn't want to catch one without the other, he said.

Although black bear attacks are rare, the public is urged to use caution and report sightings to security forces. People should also be careful not to leave food out, including pet food, and to secure any trash containers. Base residents should also keep dogs secured as they may chase bears.