KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — If you are in Gatlinburg or the Smokies, it is not unusual to see a bear.
But in West Knoxville, it is not an everyday sight.
Over the last several weeks, we have heard reports of bear sightings everywhere from Knoxville to Clinton to Turkey Creek and up into the Smokies.
Thursday morning several people saw a bear strolling through a West Knoxville office park.
"I’ve never seen a bear in West Knoxville before out just roaming around," said Sandra Tuck, who saw the bear while on a walk. "It’s strange and it’s also scary. What if there was a child playing or little dogs?"
In the midst of cars, buildings and homes, Tuck came face to face with a slice of the wild. Just minutes from her West Knoxville home and a stone’s throw away from Kingston Pike, the bear was walking around and disappeared behind a dumpster.
"Never in West Knoxville. I’ve always felt safe from bears here," said Tuck. "We’ve seen deer and wild turkey, but never a bear."
Someone in Rocky Hill spotted a bear as it trotted down a neighborhood street, dodging cars as it fled into a yard. It’s unclear if they were the same animals.
"We haven’t had a report of a bear in the West Knoxville area in a few weeks," said Matt Cameron with the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. "In Knox County, we’re not used to seeing a great number of bears although we’re seeing more as time goes by and it’s something we kind of predicted would happen."
The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency tracks bears that make it to heavily populated areas until they move on to more rural land. Bear sightings in Knoxville are uncommon. Last month, a bear strolled through Turkey Creek. Others in Gatlinburg took a dip in a hot tub as people watched from inside.
"You could be unintentionally feeding bears through leaving your trash unsecured, putting a bird feeder in the backyard, or pouring pet food out," said Cameron.
TWRA says if you ever do come face to face with a bear, it’s important to make yourself look big and stay calm. Do not run away.