Officials in Gatlinburg, Tenn., warn that humans should always keep at least 150 feet between themselves and a wild bear
NEED TO KNOW
- A black bear wandered into Gatlinburg, Tenn.’s 50th Christmas parade on Dec. 8
- Days later, a black bear showed up in the same town, which is near Great Smoky Mountains
- This time, a man attempted to shoo away the bear by patting it on the rear end
After a black bear recently crashed a Christmas parade in Gatlinburg, another animal decided to get a better look at the Tennessee town.
On Dec. 8, during Gatlinburg’s 50th annual Christmas parade, a large black bear decided it was the perfect time to walk down the Tennessee town’s onlooker-lined main street.
In viral clips of the unexpected visitor, the crowd, filled with locals and tourists who traveled in for the festivities, seems relatively unfazed by the surprise animal guest. According to Gatlinburg.com, encounters with American black bears near the town are common since Gatlinburg is next to Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) spoke to local news outlet 8WVLT and shared that the bear parade crasher is likely unafraid of human contact, which may lead to the bear being euthanized, since the bear could soon become used to approaching humans for food, which is dangerous for both humans and wildlife…