Bear And Human Interactions On The Rise

That story comes as the TWRA says that bear and human interactions are on the rise in Tennessee, especially in Sevier County. Tennessee is one of the most popular states for relocation in the nation and a decent amount of those people wind up in East Tennessee. The TWRA says with the population increasing in the area, bears are trying to adapt. As people move in they bring more food waste which attracts the bears.

The TWRA says that leads to an increased chance of people coming into contact with bears which they say leads to “irresponsible human behavior.” One TWRA agent in Sevier County says Many people intentionally feed bears with little regard for the dire consequences that happen to both the humans and the bears.

The TWRA reminds people to watch what they leave in their cars…namely food items. They say bears have noses seven times better that a bloodhound and can smell any food inside your vehicle. They say there have been more incidents of bears getting into vehicles or homes in 2022 that any previous year. So far, five bears have died this year as a result of human interaction.