HARNETT COUNTY, N.C. — Harnett County deputies are dealing with an elusive wanderer.

Three black bear sightings have been reported in the last week near Coats and Angier. The sheriff's department thinks it may be the same bear in each case.

Terry Herring recently spotted the bear.

"He didn't seem to be afraid of anything. He was walking around like he knew the territory, like he was familiar with it," he said.

It is not the only time a bear has wandered through a local community. Four years ago, Fayetteville police shot a bear that had climbed a tree in a mobile home park. This week, a bear wandered into a hospital in Rocky Mount, Va.

Male cubs usually wander this time of year in search of their own territory. People in the area should take in their pet food and avoid leaving garbage out overnight.