SEVIER COUNTY, Tenn. — A bear cub is dead and another is in recovery after they were hit by a vehicle on a Sevier County road. The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency said the family of bears dragged litter from a nearby rental cabin to the road where they were hit.
"We want our public lands or trails inviting to everyone, because they may need that time outdoors. They may need that opportunity to heal," said Benny Braden, Vice President of Save Our Smokies.
Save Our Smokies is a non-profit organization centered on educating people on the impact neighbors can have on public land. Save Our Smokies is led by founder and president Jerry Willis.
The group works with volunteers to remove litter and graffiti from in and around the parks. Last year they organized 17 cleanup events where volunteers removed around 6,402 lbs. of waste, according to its website.
Braden assists the group, he id teaching neighbors about litter consciousness is key as bears are prone to food-based trash.
"We like to say, let's put wastes in their place," said Braden.
Braden is a former first responder. He found his passion for environmental preservation after hiking through the Great Smoky Mountains as a form of healing from mental health trauma.
"Just like this area here, it's clean. That's inviting, right? If it's inviting to you, then it should be inviting to everybody," he said. "So, and that's what we want."
Braden said having more bear-proof trash cans is key to preventing accidents like these.
"If you have trash, and there are bears in the area, you can expect they're gonna take advantage of it," said Dan Gibbs, with the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. "And we the people that live in East Tennessee have the responsibility to secure that trash."
In Tennessee, anything from tires to plastic bottles and cigarettes is considered roadside litter. Penalties for large pounds of littering can range from a $500 fine to six months in jail.
"Unless law enforcement sees you doing something — especially like an individual wrapper, can or whatever, sometimes those are hard to prosecute — unless they catch that on video," Braden said.