New Bear Signs In Gatlinburg

The city of Gatlinburg has put up signs at the entry to the city limits regarding feeding bears. The move comes as two bears recently had to be euthanized due to becoming food conditioned and getting too used to humans, creating a dangerous situation for humans and bears. The signs remind visitors that feeding bears is illegal in the city of Gatlinburg. The signs also remind visitors and residents to keep trash secure. The signs have been put up at stoplights number 1 & 10 on the Parkway. There is one at the intersection of Hwy 321 (East Parkway) and Buckhorn Road (Hwy 454). The other sign is at the three-way intersection of Buckhorn Road/Glades Road/Birds Creek Road.

There have been several encounters this season of people and bears.  The TWRA says most of those interactions are due to bears getting food conditioned because they have either gotten into unsecured trash or have been fed by humans. A family was caught last month on video feeding a bear from a motel balcony. Those encounters typically do not end well for the bear, who if caught is usually euthanized. You can learn more about what to do if you encounter a bear by going to the website bearwise.org.