NATCHEZ — Oh my, forget the lions and tigers; Natchez has bears.

Black bears were spotted four times by police and twice by residents Wednesday, Natchez Police Department Captain Tom McGehee said.

NPD wants anyone in the area to be on the lookout and cautious, McGehee said.

A bear and two cubs were spotted on Seargent S. Prentiss Drive near Parkway Baptist Church, McGehhe said. A bear and one cub were reported on Cemetery Road, and a lone bear was spotted on Old D’Evereux Street near Byrne Sawmill Services and Aldrich Street.

The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks has been notified of the sightings.

McGehee said high water on the Mississippi River may have pushed the bears into town.

A young black bear was spotted wandering downtown near Myrtle Avenue in mid-April.

Retired U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service wildlife biologist and Natchez resident Bob Strader said then that bears had recently emerged from hibernation.

Residents should not approach bears or attempt to confine them. Garbage cans and pet food should be secured and not left out.

Anyone who spots a bear can contact the police department at 601-445-5565.