Social media has been buzzing this week after local reports surfaced that a bear had been spotted well away from its typical remote roaming grounds and inside Athens’ city limits.

Though the sighting has caused quite a stir with us people, this week’s urban detour might not seem all that out of the ordinary to the bear itself. After all, as the Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division shared in a post to Facebook this week, black bears in Alabama “forage primarily on vegetation and often move through residential areas as they wander.”

Summertime, the state agency added, affords the greatest likelihood to encounter a bear in Limestone County — though if you do see a bear, it’s “nothing to be alarmed about,” the Division assured. “[B]ears can be seen anywhere in Alabama, and are a natural part of our diverse wildlife community.”

Even if spotting a black bear in Alabama poses little cause for alarm, it pays to be aware of what to do (and not do) if a sighting turns into an actual bear encounter. With that in mind, the Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division offered these helpful tips on how to handle yourself if you do end up in a bear’s close vicinity:

Bear do’s and don’ts:

— Do make noise and make sure the bear sees you.

— Do ensure the bear has a clear escape route away from you.

— Do clap and holler to spook the bear away.

— Don’t approach a bear.

— Don’t feed a bear. Make sure pet food/feeders/trash aren’t left outside so that a bear isn’t rewarded for sticking around.

— Don’t run from a bear. Raise your arms and shout so it’ll GIT!

— Don’t get between a bear and a dog.

— Don’t shoot a bear — a bear that is behaving normally is no threat to you. It is illegal to shoot a bear, and a good holler should do the trick if you want it to move along.

Do log your sighting into the Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division’s online database at https://game.dcnr.alabama.gov/BlackBear.