SPENCER — Residents in Spencer and surrounding areas have reported seeing bears near their homes and in their neighborhoods recently.

A recent sighting was on Pickett Avenue in Spencer on Saturday said Doug Robinson, who has family in the area.

The bear was seen knocking over bird feeders in order to get into the food stored there and sniffing around residents’ mailboxes and driveways according to Robinson.

“I was concerned because it was close to the residential area and there are children out playing on a regular basis. It’s kind of a forested area, and there are children playing in that forest all the time,” said Robinson.

On a number of online social media applications, others in Salisbury have reported seeing bears in their yards overnight, including one reported sighting 0f a cub caught on a security camera in the backyard of a home near the VA hospital at about 2 a.m.

During this time of year, bear sightings are typically younger males that are striking out on their own for the first time and have yet to learn that houses and other residential areas are not safe for them, said Tanya Poole, an Education Specialist with the N.C. Wildlife Commission. Instead they see unprotected food sources such as bird feeders and unattended pet food that is free for the taking.

“People need to know that we can’t relocate the bears, so it’s best for people to remove things like bird feeders and keep away from the bears so they are not a problem to start,” said Poole.

According to Bearwise, an organization aimed at educating people about bear encounters, people need to take care to remove any type of food that could attract a bear. Bird feeders, trash and pet food all need to be removed or secured when a bear is sighted in the area. Anything that frequently touches food, such as grills, needs to be stored away. People also need to make sure to stay away from the bears.

Residents should also take steps to ensure that their neighbors know to follow these same steps. There are flyers available for download on Bearwise’s website at bearwise.org that can be distributed to neighbors through apps such as Nextdoor or Facebook that explain what to do if a bear is near homes or becomes aggressive towards people.

If these steps are taken bears will typically move on from a neighborhood in around two weeks, said Poole.

Anyone interested in finding out more information can contact the Wildlife Help Line at 868-318-2401 or wildlifehelpline@ncwildlife.org.