GATLINBURG, Tenn. (WATE) — A black bear was euthanized following an incident at Anakeesta Mountaintop Adventure Park in Gatlinburg last week, and the park is implementing new safety measures to prevent future encounters.
The bear was spotted inside the popular attraction's concession stand on Thursday, June 20 at approximately 9:30 p.m. Video taken by Zachary Recchia shows the bear at the concession counter before jumping on an employee as he tried to leave through the door.
An Anakeesta statement said there was “brief physical contact” between the bear and the employee.
The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency announced Monday that a bear matching the description of the one seen in the video was captured and euthanized. Several other bears, including a female with four cubs, were also captured and released.
“TWRA does not prefer to euthanize wildlife, especially bears, and we do not do so indiscriminately,” said TWRA Black Bear Coordinator Dan Gibbs. “We utilize something called the 'Bear Conflict Matrix,' developed by wildlife experts, as a guide for dealing with human-bear conflicts. In this incident, the bear entered a concession stand where humans were present and made physical contact with an employee, resulting in minor injuries. Unfortunately, this bear was not a candidate for relocation.”
Anakeesta and the TWRA also announced new safety measures at the park. Temporary electric fencing and energized “nuisance mats” will be used when the park is closed to patrons. Steel cages have also been ordered to protect the concession doors and contain trash before it is taken to the trash compactor.
“Our team is expanding our partnership with TWRA by implementing new initiatives to keep bears and people safe while vacationing in the Smoky Mountains,” said Anakeesta President Bryce Bentz. “We work every day to improve our parks while receiving guidance from local agencies on how to be 'bear aware'.”
This is the second bear-human encounter caught on camera in the Smoky Mountains in the past week. Another video shared on social media shows a bear approaching a woman holding a cub outside Bearskin Lodge in Gatlinburg on June 18. TWRA said the bear seen in the video will be euthanized as well if it is captured.
For more information on how to live responsibly around bears, visit BearWise.org.
