Gatlinburg Warns Tourists About Bears

Gatlinburg police are advising tourists to be “bear aware” at this time. There have been numerous bear sightings recently, plus there was a bear attack near Asheville last week that injured two people at the Folk Art Center on the Blue Ridge Parkway. The couple’s barked at and ran towards that bear aggravating it and making it hostile. National park officials state that now is the time that bears are looking for food to get fattened up for the long winter’s nap.

Gatlinburg police are warning the public that while seeing a bear is one thing most tourists look forward to….you need to remember they are wild animals and are unpredictable. Bears have been seen everywhere this year…in hot tubs, on playgrounds, even walking down the parkway in downtown Gatlinburg and entering a restaurant. The city of Gatlinburg has posted several tips on the city’s website….those include never feeding or approaching bears…secure any food or garbage…do not leave pet food outdoors…plus clean and store grills.

Experts remind you that black bears are typically not aggressive, they are curious creatures. If you see a bear just observe and move away. If the bear sees you, do not run just back away slowly.