Gatlinburg Police urge caution as bear sightings in city increase

Stay informed about what's happening in East Tennessee. Find the latest news, weather and sports on our website and social media:
www.wate.com/
/ wate6onyourside
/ 6news
/ wate6onyourside

[@sbrecke1507]

Watching those people run towards the bear, that was scary ( and stupid)

[@StevenTorrey]

Yeah, a bear feeling cornered by a crowd would be very unpredictable.

[@withurshield931]

I ran into a bear on a trail to a campsite. My first reaction was to walk backwards toward my truck. It followed me for a several feet, but eventually veered off the trail but I kept going, until I was sure it was clear to head back onto the trail. My safety and it’s safety was my priority, no time for photos.

[@tonyhamm5387]

That bear enjoyed that hot tub 😂

[@thatpointinlife]

Go Bears!!! 🐻

[@DerekWhite-yx2ce]

Da Bears

[@chuckcts-v3460]

All you people that let your kids eat in your car and your car smells like McDonalds or other fast food beware. When your car is parked all locked up, the bears can still smell that and will break the windows out of your car to get in and proceed to destroy your car looking for the food.

[@KennyMcCormick49]

"fast foot", boys we got a foot fetishist

[@joesmith9216]

yeah, haha at the useless eaters, I never eat in my cars.

[@dudley5658]

If it’s a McRib I’m breaking in.

[@HotMessExpress4.0]

Actually as a Tennessean that lives 45 mins from there ; and Actually spent day there yesterday its so beautiful but in all my 30 yrs of gng there never hv I seen that many where there's tons of ppl & not being scared etc around them which is ultimately sad between the teens that set 🔥 to the mtns few yrs ago & expanding the city they hv no where go🥺

[@bobberguy1]

Bears have no where to go? Smoky Mtn. National Park covers 520,000 acres . Bears are being drawn into Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge by discarded human food. As long as there are dumpsters and trashcans, there will be bears.

[@HotMessExpress4.0]

@@bobberguy1 yes true but when those Teen boys set fire 🔥 to the mountains the Great Smokies were destroyed and pushed many out of their natural habit and closer to ppl and the area still hasn't recovered 100% so yes there's tons land in the park, but alot of it was destroyed by the fires and the constant expansion of businesses and rebuilding has pushed them closer to ppl n further dwn the mountains

[@HotMessExpress4.0]

@@khristycardona9048 yesss exactly, live an hour away but go there often & its sad to me how urbanized its become

[@dhop2821]

@@khristycardona9048 ,it's too late. It already is too overdeveloped and was many years ago. As far as the teens setting the fires, rangers made a choice to let the fire they set burn. The fact that they didn't try to contain it, allowed it to spread and other things now seems intentional. Plus, that most recent fire burned 3000 acres last I checked. The price of land in Tennessee has hit levels never seen before, even though Gatlinburg itself has always been prime real estate. They can't legally develop most of the land left in Gatlinburg, but a Gigantic wildfire sure does give them options. It's sad to think Tennessee may someday be just as crowded as New York City, but it seems to be what's happening. Check out the convenience of any fire, such as the Amazon Rain Forest Fire that happened a year or so ago. Developers had a big fight on their hands until the fire, then they got free reign.

[@mick58kc72]

​@@dhop2821 hmm... Hawaii fire anyone? 😮

[@stevenkelly7986]

And what are the police going to do, arrest Mr Grizzly for 'Bear Walking'?.

[@saturn6563]

I remember in summer of 2019 I went on vacation to Tennessee. Had lots of fun, stayed a hotel for 4 days. For whatever reason we decided to stay an extra day there but a motel. So we were going back to the motel after doing something and by the time we got up the stairs and about to enter our room, we say a black bear just being there. I don’t have clear memory of this, but it was just roaming around trash cans and we were just watching behind the railing intrigued. Good old Tennessee

[@aaronelijahcolyer]

Tennessee treats their black bears better than their homeless people

[@kimf.5420]

If the bear is non threatening to me and I’m at a safe distance I’m gonna film!!

[@mrlafayette1964]

And if it bolts towards you at 40mph you won't feel so safe all of a sudden. Typical for them to seem ok then make a charge.

[@DavidWilliams-so2dy]

Future Darwin Award winner!👍

[@AmericanGal_69]

Stop tearing up their habitat for businesses and homes and you'd not see them as much. They've ruined these mountains......

[@bobberguy1]

The almighty dollar will win over wildlife every time.

[@anythingchannel9326]

Humans have to live somewhere. Maybe they should stop invading OUR habitats

[@garyposthuma9607]

Yes I agree them mountains are full of cabins to rent

[@allenelswick6961]

I don't agree with you. the bears have plenty of wild lands to live on besides just the National park lands. The problem is no management of bear population in a controlled manner.

[@AmericanGal_69]

@@allenelswick6961 you're part of the problem.

[@justinw8512]

Dolly needs to create a bear sanctuary

[@dwandascott3947]

There is one. it is called the forest. Some call it the woods. Its their home. We are the invaders. 🐻

[@EllariaSand]

In the spring of 2022, a mother cougar and her three cubs were spotted in Wears Valley in Sevier County (East TN). In August 2022, employees working overnight at Dollywood saw a cougar--not a bobcat-- crossing the railroad track.

[@randynastasia4497]

They are quite. But remember, they are a wild animal

[@jamierichards9926]

Not in the hot tub😂

[@loogsflamez8412]

I was dealing with one for a month finally got rid of it he was a 500 boar and he would hit my house for trash 2 times a night he was pushed up against my glass screen door too my trailer one night i was in my living room we locked eyes my girl freaks out Over guns so I have all of them secured at my mothers house 20 minutes away from mine i live in the capital of Pennsylvania in the rural moutain outskirts

[@alexhughes4294]

First time I was in Gatlinburg there was a bear in a dumpster behind the aquarium.

[@loiscarson5526]

The park rangers in Cades cove in Oct 26th of 2021 was letting people get out of their cars and take pictures and get very close with a mother and 2 cubs bears with people holding traffic back for 10 miles at least.

[@sbrecke1507]

Lois Carson: what!?😳

[@randquadrozzi1280]

Because of people feeding them were I live the have little fear of people.we had 1 in our yard that wouldn't leave and even the rubber bullets from the ranger had almost no effect.we have berries all around our property so there is usually a bear around in the summer

[@bulow453]

I would probably buy it a Big Mac but that's just me.

[@barbstamps650]

What city is this news station out of?

[@bobberguy1]

Knoxville, Tn. 35 miles northwest of G'burg.

[@rebeccarpwebb4132]

Knoxville wate tv .covers down to athens tn at least . its th local news channel

[@barbstamps650]

Thanks. Is that the closest TV station to Newport?

[@coalhollister420]

I'll live in the smokies call the cops you wanna just laugh at !!!!! It just happens all the time DON'T FUCKING FEED THE BEAR'S

[@coltinhall9515]

I’m in Gatlinburg right now

[@mrsdixon3524]

And People think Australia is dangerous GTFO 😵

[@colors5234]

People come here and think there trained I swear

[@user-fl4on2iy4c]

All bears want one thing food.They are hungry all the time.

[@amandaoana5051]

Aloha can you send one to Hawaii those bears are cute

[@Strrazor]

Those cute bears can run 35 mph up to 100 yards and can bite your arm clean off...

[@oliviajayneslucas6779]

@@Strrazor although to be honest unless in danger or starving this isn't likely to happen just keep your distance

[@Strrazor]

@@oliviajayneslucas6779 somebody dies almost ever year by a bear I live 40 min from Gatlinburg...

[@AmericanGal_69]

@@Strrazor stupidity on the human part is how that happens.

[@Strrazor]

@@AmericanGal_69 I wasn't there couldn't say I do know people think their cute and sure they are and also deadly

[@davidburkholder7360]

The bear population needs thinned considerably IMO. Just a matter of time until....No one is taking this serious enough because the bears are "so cute." The bears kill their young regulary and are canabalistic and powerful. Someone is gonna pay a price or many until the population is reduced.

[@silvieb2024]

The same is true for the town I live in here in California.

[@supererikman5331]

meh, those are black bears and are rarely aggressive towards humans, 99% of the time they will just walk past you and carry on with their day

[@coalhollister420]

Makes our jobs so much easier taking care of your cabins doing electrician work and construction

[@NeverBeDaunted]

My neighbor on the mountain keeps telling me about the bears; she just wants the yankee to go home

[@NeverBeDaunted]

I have had many bear stuff. From them chasing you due to you holding food, list is long. They are just looking for food. Don’t give them any food

[@john2cute25]

I’m going to this city soon in a cabin

[@walterjohnson2713]

I’m sorry but this is why I am not a fan of the woods. 

[@BarelySocialExperiment]

I have been going to gatlinburg my whole life I’m 38 and I have never seen a black 🐻 bear 🤬 ….but I have seen the biggest wolf I ever seen in my life someone said it was a timber wolf but I’m not sure

[@carieevans3787]

Whaaaaaat?? I read they were eradicated from the area decades ago.

[@coalhollister420]

Feed them I bet your hot tub doesn't get turned on quicker

[@Russianislamist]

What's all the fuss about? I think bears are cool 🐻

[@linda1300]

That is there Habitat you build houses where there woods were so they want a house 🏡 to👠😆

[@franzjosephaque2066]

Bears are in the forest that is we’re they live and Gatlinburg is a city near the forest that is why there are lots of bears 🐻🐻🐻🏙➡️🌳🌳🌳

[@THESEADOG82]

More Hunting would be a wonderful idea

[@aaronelijahcolyer]

yes of humans... not hunting bears

[@Vezzo55]

Agree decrease the bear population before a child is mauled to death....

[@johnmoore4714]

Stop 🛑 development in bear territory 🐻. #savethebears

[@allenelswick6961]

We are developing 12 thousand acre of land if the bears don't like it they can move lol.

[@silvieb2024]

People have a right to territory as much as any other animal.

[@bujimonk3027]

Recording a bear from behind a glass window doesn’t endanger anyone.

[@thefamily512]

Stop teling people what to do, you are not God. If the bear is among people, he just wants food so feed him!

[@jjs5321]

aww cute bears they only want to eat and have fun❤️🐻❤️🐻❤️🐻🐻❤️