Harnett County farmer finds bear up a tree
HARNETT COUNTY, NC -- Janet Adams never thought she would see a bear up a tree near her home.
However, she did Monday morning, thanks to her 5-year-old German shepherd named Lilly.
"She kept going to the tree," Adams said, "and she kept barking, and looking up and I looked up and said "Holy Cow!'"
Adams said the bear appeared to be young but grown and was at least several hundred pounds. She said it wasn't very friendly either.
"He reared up and put his feet down and blow at you," said Adams.
She thinks the bear wandered onto the farm sometime early Monday morning, and Lilly's barking scared him up a tree.
The farm is just off Interstate 95 between Dunn and Benson. Adams said in the past there have been reports of bears, foxes and coyotes in the area, but not this close. When she called a wildlife officer, she told her not to do anything, and eventually the bear would come down and leave.
Adams worried about children and livestock on her property, but said the treed bear became sort of a tourist attraction.
"We had lots of friends, who are fabulous people, that came over, a lot of them had not seen one up this close," said Adams.
This bear adventure has a happy ending. Adams said Monday evening the bear finally climbed down from the tree and ambled back into the woods.
Wildlife officers said this is mating season, and bears are out wandering. They said bears are not normally aggressive, but if you see one, stay out of its way.
