In Gatlinburg, Tennessee, an onlooker captured footage of a black bear rounding a corner and surprising a man under a bridge in a busy part of town; fortunately, neither was hurt.
What happened?
The official TikTok account of ABC News (@abcnews) shared a video taken by Mark Linder, which shows a medium-sized black bear walking on a sidewalk in what appears to be a downtown area. As the bear approaches a man hanging out beneath the bridge, he immediately raises his arms and shouts to try to scare it away.
However, the bear seems unfazed and continues walking toward him while the man retreats. It seems the bear just wanted to inspect the man’s belongings, which likely included food, before heading back the way it came. The encounter was luckily uneventful, but it could’ve easily turned south, especially since the man had his back turned as the bear approached.
“Not SMART at all NEVER turn your back on a bear!” one commenter said. “Walk slowly sideways watching the bear, but do not make eye contact. Also be loud!”
“They are used to people, as long as you respect their boundaries, you’ll be fine,” another added. “Do not approach, feed or attempt to touch.”
One person empathized with the bear, writing, “The animals are losing their habitat and wandering into the only place left to search for food. Poor thing.”
Why is the bear encounter concerning?
While the surprise visit from the bear thankfully did not result in injuries or worse, others have not been so lucky after encounters with bears.
For example, a 72-year-old man in Arkansas was attacked by a black bear while riding a tractor on his property. He ultimately had to be transferred to a hospice facility due to the extent of his injuries. Similarly, a woman in Japan was mauled by a bear outside a group home while she was taking out the trash, which likely attracted the animal.
Across the globe, an increasing number of people are reporting encounters with bears in urban neighborhoods and city centers. While most bear sightings are relatively harmless, the uptick in such encounters is troubling, considering the risks of harm to people and pets. Experts attribute the worrying trend of bears roaming in suburban areas to habitat loss, human development in bear territory, and shortages of food and water resulting from environmental changes brought on by rising temperatures.
As bears become more habituated to humans, it can unfortunately force officials to euthanize animals that exhibit aggressive behavior around food. Some parkgoers have even been caught feeding wild bears, which is never a good idea since they often lose their natural fear of humans.
What’s being done to reduce human-wildlife conflicts?
There are many environmental and conservation organizations working to protect bears while also ensuring human safety. For example, in Spain, the Bear Patrol was created to allow bears and humans to coexist peacefully. Closer to Gatlinburg, where bear sightings are quite common due to the abundant food sources, the Great Smoky Mountains Conservation Association provides funding for conservation efforts, anti-poaching initiatives, and support for local rescue groups.
Communities can reduce the chances of bear encounters — and therefore the likelihood of euthanization — by using bear-proof garbage and food containers, supporting conservation initiatives, and reporting any sightings to local authorities. By providing bears with ample space to roam and preserving their natural habitats, they can continue to thrive.
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