GATLINBURG, Tenn. — Gatlinburg leaders, the Smokies BearWise Task Force and officers from the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency are hosting an open house on bear management practices on Tuesday.
This bear safety class comes after several bear encounters in the area over the summer, including one Sunday night where two hikers were stalked by a black bear. The hikers said they attempted to use bear spray and even threw sticks to get the bear away.
The class is completely free and will run from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the American Legion building in Gatlinburg. The class is set to teach the best bear management practices to reduce interactions.
Here are some essential tips to stay safe when in bear country.
Some essential tips
BearWise provided some essential tips to keep safe with "Six At-Home BearWise Basics."
The first step is to never feed or approach bears.
"Intentionally feeding bears or allowing them to find anything that smells or tastes like food teaches bears to approach homes and people looking for more," BearWise said.
Other steps are to secure any garbage or recycling, remove bird feeders when bears are active and never leave pet food outdoors.
"If you must feed pets outside, feed in single portions and remove bowls afterward," the organization said.
The final two of the six essential tips are to clean and store any grills or smokers and to alert any neighbors about bear activity seen in the area.