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Journalism of Courage
In a viral video shared by ABC News on Instagram, a black bear wandered into the “Bear Can” concession stand at Anakeesta Mountaintop Adventure Park in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, the United States of America, last Thursday around 9:30 pm.
The bear entered through an employee entrance, stood on its hind legs, glanced at guests, and consumed some food before leaving, as captured in the video.
While exiting, the bear accidentally collided with a park worker, causing minor injuries. The worker dropped her items but managed to shut the store door as she ran inside.
Following the incident, the bear was euthanised, a report by Outlook said. The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) stated the bear couldn’t be relocated due to its physical contact with a person.
“We do not like to euthanise wildlife, especially bears,” commented Dan Gibbs, TWRA’s Black Bear Coordinator. “We follow the ‘Bear Conflict Matrix,’ a guide for managing human-bear conflicts,” he added.
Watch the video below:
TWRA and Anakeesta are collaborating to enhance park safety and reduce bear attraction, planning measures like electric fencing, steel cage doors, and improved food and garbage storage.
In response to the video, users expressed mixed reactions. One wrote, “Would have been nice if someone had alerted her sooner.” Another user commented, “Didn’t anyone realize their coworker was outside?” Meanwhile, a third user empathised with the bear, stating, “The bear was startled. It didn’t intend to harm her.” Another user said, “She wasn’t attacked! The bear was scared and reacted like her; it didn’t pursue her.”
“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’,” Outlook quoted Anakeesta President Bryce Bentz as saying.
