SARALAND, Ala. (WKRG) — A black bear is making itself right at home in in an Alabama neighborhood as Fat Bear Week approaches.

“He is one of our neighbors now,” Elysian Neighborhood resident Melissa Flowers said.

Flowers has lived in this neighborhood for the past five years; she said that her family first spotted a bear within the first year of moving into the neighborhood off of Celeste Road. Flowers’ children said that it’s pretty “cool” to see a bear every once in a while.

“I mean we want to protect him; we know that they’re getting thrown out of the place they live with all the neighborhoods coming up,” Flowers said.

Residents of the Elysian Neighborhood do not seem to mind this wildlife creature.

“He will come from the wooded area over here or the wooded area over there he doesn’t have a preference,” resident Deanna Nezat said.

But a bear can be a messy neighbor, as residents tell WKRG that they constantly see the animal getting into garbage cans.

“He’s gotten into our trash, two-three times, and he will be right at the road digging in your trash can,” Nezat said.

Now, resident ensure that they put their garbage cans away in a place where they will not be rummaged through.

“He just goes up and down the sidewalk and loves to hang out,” Flowers said.

Residents said that they have not named the bear just yet, but they do have some ideas about renaming the city.

“I have thought about the fact that Saraland might need to change their name to bear-a-land instead of Saraland,” Flowers said.

Alabama only has black bears, and in the southwest region of the state, you can find around 300 black bears roaming around.