Black bear “Yogi” making an Aiken neighborhood its temporary home

AIKEN, S.C. (WJBF) – The old saying goes, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure… but, it’s not a man that’s been treasure hunting in the Trolley Run Station subdivision.

Experts say June and July are peak mating season months for bears, causing them to travel out of their home territories.

Neighbors living near the woods in Trolley Run recently caught a black bear on their doorbell cameras rifling through their garbage cans.

“Oh my gosh, we got bear we got bear we got bear!” said David Mihoulides. “And looking through the videos, all of a sudden he was dumping over our trash can and dragging trash across the yard through the back yard here. Yeah, definitely our first experience with a bear.”

But, it’s not unbearable.

“We’re calling him Yogi, so you know what they say, once you name it it’s your pet. So, I guess it’s the neighborhood pet of Trolley Run,” Mihoulides said.

“I checked our cameras to see if Yogi had walked in our yard, and sure enough on our doorbell camera I caught him walking right across our front porch,” said Brian Maio.

Neighbors believe Yogi is a teenage male, and his last sighting was Thursday night.

They want others who live in the area to be aware in case they bear witness to him.

“We just want to let everyone know, hey there’s a black bear around, there’s kids around, don’t leave your garages open or the gates to your backyard,” Maio said. “Just be aware of your surroundings, that’s all.”

South Carolina DNR was contacted and they shared tips like be sure to secure your outdoor trash cans, pet food, and bird feeders.

Neighbors have been doing that since Yogi appeared, but they’re still a little shocked.

“Are we in Yellowstone National Park or something?! This is Aiken, South Carolina here and bear?! Like I said, raccoon or deer, but bear? Yeah not so much,” Mihoulides said.

While some in the neighborhood are taking precautions to keep Yogi away, they don’t feel like they’re in danger – and consider him the neighborhood mascot.

Experts do say if you come in contact with a black bear, stay calm and make yourself appear as big as possible.

For more bear tips, click here.