The black bear captured on video wandering into a concessions stand at an amusement park in Tennessee and pawing a park worker has been euthanized, the Tennessee Wildlife Sources Company (TWRA) stated Monday.
In a information launch, TWRA stated that following the bear encounter at Anakeesta, a mountaintop journey park in Gatlinburg, TWRA caught a bear that matched the outline of the animal concerned within the incident and euthanized it. A number of bears, together with a feminine with 4 cubs, have been additionally captured as a part of the method, however have been later launched.
“TWRA doesn’t take pleasure in having to euthanize any wildlife, particularly bears and we do not do it indiscriminately,” TWRA Black Bear Coordinator Dan Gibbs stated in an announcement. “We make the most of what we name the ‘Bear Battle Matrix,’ which was developed by wildlife professionals as a information for addressing human/bear battle.”
Gibbs stated that the bear concerned on this incident “was not a candidate for relocation,” as a result of the “bear entered a concession stand with people current and made bodily contact with an worker inflicting minor accidents.”
Video: See shocking moment when worker comes face-to-face with black bear at Tennessee park
Video reveals black bear’s concession stand encounter
Final Thursday, round 9:30 p.m., a black bear entered “Bear Can” at Anakeesta, by the worker entrance, which is off limits to guests. A number of individuals have been standing in line on the stand on the time, the wildlife company stated, including that the bear stood on its hind legs for just a few seconds observing the friends and consuming meals earlier than leaving.
Simply because the bear was exiting the stand, a park employee was getting into it, giving the employee and the animal fairly a shock as they turned the nook.
“At that time, the bear and worker made temporary bodily contact,” Anakeesta stated in an earlier assertion, including that the worker obtained minor accidents and opted to not obtain medical consideration.
Video footage, recorded by an individual current contained in the concession stand, reveals the bear scouring for meals whereas holding some in its paw.
Watch the stunning second under:
Anakeesta park working to enhance security after incident
The wildlife company, within the information launch, additionally stated that it’s working with Anakeesta to “enhance park security and make it much less engaging to bears.” Anakeesta is bordered by the Nice Smoky Mountains Nationwide Park on three sides and is well-liked with each vacationers and black bears.
Measures to cut back bear encounters embody non permanent electrical fencing and electrified “unwelcome mats” for use when the park is closed to friends. The park has additionally “ordered metal caging to safe concession stand doorways” and will likely be guaranteeing that meals and rubbish is correctly saved or disposed.
“Our workforce is increasing our partnership with TWRA by implementing new initiatives to maintain bears and folks protected throughout their Smoky Mountain holidays,” Anakeesta President Bryce Bentz stated in an announcement. “We’re bettering our park on daily basis with steerage from native businesses on the best way to keep ‘BearWise.'”
A spokesperson of the Tennessee wildlife company additionally urged the general public to train duty in areas with excessive focus of wildlife by ensuring leftover meals is correctly disposed and all rubbish is secured in order that animals, just like the bear, do not need entry to unnatural meals sources and aren’t drawn to areas frequented by people.
Anakeesta is situated about 42 miles east of Knoxville and is roughly 220 miles from Nashville.
Saman Shafiq is a trending information reporter for USA TODAY. Attain her at sshafiq@gannett.com and observe her on X @saman_shafiq7.
This text initially appeared on USA TODAY: Bear euthanized after concession stand encounter at Gatlinburg park
