Bear euthanized after 'causing minor injuries' at Gatlinburg park concession stand
The black bear captured on video wandering into a concessions stand at an amusement park in Tennessee and pawing a park employee has been euthanized, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) said Monday.
In a news release, TWRA said that following the bear encounter at Anakeesta, a mountaintop adventure park in Gatlinburg, TWRA caught a bear that matched the description of the animal involved in the incident and euthanized it. Multiple bears, including a female with four cubs, were also captured as part of the process, but were later released.
“TWRA does not enjoy having to euthanize any wildlife, especially bears and we don't do it indiscriminately,” TWRA Black Bear Coordinator Dan Gibbs said in a statement. “We utilize what we call the 'Bear Conflict Matrix,' which was developed by wildlife professionals as a guide for addressing human/bear conflict."
Gibbs said that the bear involved in this incident "was not a candidate for relocation," because the "bear entered a concession stand with humans present and made physical contact with an employee causing minor injuries."
Video:See shocking moment when worker comes face-to-face with black bear at Tennessee park
Video shows black bear's concession stand encounter
Last Thursday, around 9:30 p.m., a black bear entered "Bear Can" at Anakeesta, through the employee entrance, which is off limits to visitors. Several people were standing in line at the stand at the time, the wildlife agency said, adding that the bear stood on its hind legs for a few seconds observing the guests and eating food before leaving.
Just as the bear was exiting the stand, a park worker was entering it, giving the worker and the animal quite a surprise as they turned the corner.
"At that point, the bear and employee made brief physical contact," Anakeesta said in an earlier statement, adding that the employee received minor injuries and opted not to receive medical attention.
Video footage, recorded by a person present inside the concession stand, shows the bear scouring for food while holding some in its paw.
Watch the shocking moment below:
Anakeesta park working to improve safety after incident
The wildlife agency, in the news release, also said that it is working with Anakeesta to "improve park safety and make it less attractive to bears." Anakeesta is bordered by the Great Smoky Mountains National Park on three sides and is popular with both tourists and black bears.
Measures to reduce bear encounters include temporary electric fencing and electrified "unwelcome mats" to be used when the park is closed to guests. The park has also "ordered steel caging to secure concession stand doors" and will be ensuring that food and garbage is properly stored or disposed.
“Our team is expanding our partnership with TWRA by implementing new initiatives to keep bears and people safe during their Smoky Mountain vacations,” Anakeesta President Bryce Bentz said in a statement. “We are making improvements to our park every day with guidance from local agencies on how to stay 'BearWise.'"
A spokesperson of the Tennessee wildlife agency also urged the public to exercise responsibility in areas with high concentration of wildlife by making sure leftover food is properly disposed and all garbage is secured so that animals, like the bear, do not have access to unnatural food sources and are not attracted to areas frequented by humans.
Anakeesta is located about 42 miles east of Knoxville and is approximately 220 miles from Nashville.
Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X @saman_shafiq7.