WATCH: Black bear spotted in Lincoln County apple tree

DENVER, N.C. — Another black bear has been spotted in a Lincoln County neighborhood. The latest sighting happened over the weekend off Forney Hill Road in Denver.

Steven Conley said he saw a bear in an apple tree on Friday.

[READ MORE: Another black bear sighting reported in Lincoln County]

[RELATED: Bear spotted in Denver the latest in string of sightings]

He pulled out his phone to shoot a video of the bear, which climbed in the tree.

"I lived here my whole life and I never thought I’d see a bear," Conley said.

Conley said he saw the same bear on July 22.

Conley’s neighbor, Michael Graham, said he saw the bear, too.

"He's been hanging out here for about a week and a half...eating apples between here and the neighbors’ houses. There are 4 to 5 of those trees,” Graham said.

Graham said he doesn't mind the bear in his yard.

He said he would rather have the bear in his tree, than in a neighbor's trash.

"I've actually got out there with a broom handle and knocked some apples down so he doesn’t have to tear the tree up that bad,” Graham said.

In July, North Carolina Wildlife officials received a handful of calls about bears in Lincoln, Catawba, Gaston and Alexander counties.

Officials said these are male bears who recently left their mother's protection.

Officials said the young male bears are looking for an easy meal, like apples, trash and food left out for pets and they will head back to the foothills by late August.

Graham said his dog spotted one of the bears about a week ago.

He said the bear didn't bother them.

Officials said young bears are typically not aggressive.

"It’s what you get for living outside the city,” Graham said, “I don’t mind sharing apples with the bear.”

Several people have called Lincoln County 911 to report the bear in the last month.

Bear sighting coverage:

• Black bear on the move in downtown Hickory
• Mother bear, cub spotted near Highway 321 in Lenoir
• Bear spotted in Matthews again after several weekend sightings
• Black bear reported in Matthews days after video surfaced in Waxhaw

Wildlife experts said that the animals are just migrating and that people should keep their trash in a garbage bin so the bears don't smell it.

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