Black Bear Euthanized After Entering Concession Stand At Gatlinburg Park

A black bear was put down after it wandered into a concession stand at Anakeesta, an amusement park in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) said the bear matched the description of one seen in a video of the incident.

Last Thursday, around 9:30 pm, the bear entered "Bear Can" through an employee entrance. The bear stood on its hind legs, looked at guests, and ate some food before leaving. As it was leaving, it bumped into a park worker, causing minor injuries.

TWRA said the bear was not a candidate for relocation because it had made physical contact with a person. "We do not like to put down any wildlife, especially bears," said Dan Gibbs, TWRA Black Bear Coordinator. "We follow the 'Bear Conflict Matrix,' a guide for dealing with human-bear conflicts."

Following this, TWRA caught the bear matching the description of the one involved and euthanized it. They also caught a female bear with four cubs and other bears but released them.

Video footage shows the bear searching for food inside the stand. The employee who was hurt chose not to get medical help.

TWRA and Anakeesta are working together to improve park safety and make it less attractive to bears. They plan to use electric fencing and steel cages for doors to keep bears out. They will also ensure food and garbage are properly stored.

Anakeesta President Bryce Bentz said, “Our team is expanding our partnership with TWRA by implementing new initiatives to keep bears and people safe during their Smoky Mountain vacations. We are making improvements to our park every day with guidance from local agencies on how to stay 'BearWise.'” 

Meanwhile, TWRA urged the public to be responsible in areas with a lot of wildlife by properly disposing of food and securing garbage so bears do not get attracted to human areas.