The Spanish Fort Police Department is advising people to take the proper precautions after a bear was recently spotted near Bromley Road.

“We’ve received reports of a bear sighting in the area recently,” reads a Friday post to the department’s Facebook.

“While bears are generally harmless and prefer to avoid human interaction, we want to make sure everyone stays safe.”

The post offered the following tips to residents.

• Secure Pet Food: Please bring in all pet food, including bowls, at night to avoid attracting the bear.
• Remove Deer Feeders: If you have deer feeders outside, it’s best to remove them temporarily.
• Store Trash Properly: Make sure all trash cans are tightly secured and not left outside overnight.
• Do NOT Feed or Shoot: It is illegal to feed or harm wildlife in our area. Please refrain from doing so.
• Keep Children Safe: Be sure to educate your children to stay away from any bears and avoid approaching them.

“By taking these precautions, we can help ensure the bear stays in its natural habitat and everyone remains safe,” it reads.

Although Alabama residents have reported an increasing number of black bear sightings over the last decade, there has been no noticeable growth the state’s population, according to previous comments from Marianne Gauldin of the Alabama Department of Conservation & Natural Resources’ Division of Wildlife & Freshwater Fisheries.

“…Bear sightings are on the rise, but this can perhaps be partially attributed to our increased cultural use of social media and sharing information that used to only be shared neighbor-to-neighbor,” she said.

“Bears also come and go from Georgia.”