Thieving Black Bear Spotted ‘Taking Out the Trash’ Outside Tennessee Home Has Jaws Dropping originally appeared on PetHelpful.
Gatlinburg, Tennessee, is a beloved tourist destination with plenty to do—including visiting the iconic Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Being so close to the mountains makes this city a nature-lover’s paradise, but humans aren’t the only ones enjoying this picturesque place.
Black bear sightings are common in Gatlinburg, but every now and then, one comes along that leaves everyone’s jaws on the floor. Luckily, when this kind of bear encounter happened to @stephaniewieczor0 on August 13, she caught it all on film!
Even though there’s video evidence, no one can believe that this cheeky bear literally took out the trash!
What a helpful bear! Some bears cause massive property damage, but this curious guy was just looking for a bite to eat. Although no one can blame him, the trash probably isn’t the best place to find a snack.
“That’s so sweet of him to take the trash out for you,” one commenter agreed. Even the black bears in Tennessee are southern gentlemen! Even if he had his own selfish intentions, the true star of this interaction played a very important supporting role.
“Well, now I need to know what kind of trash bags you use,” another viewer admitted. “There’s no breakage or holes from being tossed around.” Isn’t it impressive? Whatever brand this is, they should use this video in their next commercial!
Dumpster Diving Bears
As cute and funny as this video may be, it’s also an important reminder to keep all trash properly secured when in bear country. Even without opposable thumbs, curious bears can get into all kinds of trouble!
Dumpster diving, breaking screen windows, and even breaking into cars are all tried-and-true tactics bears use to find a snack. It can be harder for them to hunt and forage in highly developed areas, which is why it’s important to report bear encounters like this. Sometimes, bears need to be relocated to less populated areas!
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Thieving Black Bear Spotted ‘Taking Out the Trash’ Outside Tennessee Home Has Jaws Dropping first appeared on PetHelpful on Aug 20, 2025
This story was originally reported by PetHelpful on Aug 20, 2025, where it first appeared.