GATLINBURG, Tenn. — The most popular animal in the Great Smoky Mountains has suffered the consequences of human interactions so far into 2024. The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency said a total of 20 bears have been humanely killed so far this year, and 16 were from the Gatlinburg area.
There is a distinction between "euthanized" and "humanely killed", according to the agency. "Euthanized" refers to bears who are sick or injured. "Humanely killed" refers to bears who have been humanely killed by officials due to aggressive behavior or other interactions with humans.
The agency also said while it may seem like the number of interactions between people and bears is higher, they have been comparable with previous years. The agency said clusters of human-bear interactions have been reported this year, with more interactions per cluster but longer times between clusters.
It said bears have been attracted by household trash, business trash, pet food and food left outside and in vehicles. More businesses and households in Sevier County and Gatlinburg have secured their trash as a way to deter bears.
The TWRA also emphasized the importance of making sure bears do not think humans are friendly when they venture out of the woods in search of food.
"They realize, 'Hey, these people aren't going to hurt me and eventually, somebody's gonna feed me.' So, it's just this downward spiral, if you want to call it, that happens to the bear to the point that it'll approach someone. It will bully people, it will swat at people and make physical contact with them, and when that happens we have to put that bear down," said Matt Cameron, a Wildlife Information Specialist with TWRA.
He also said that nobody should be friendly with bears, such as by offering treats, trying to pet them, or even getting close— for both the safety of people and for bears.
"You need to deter bears at all costs. You don't want to be friendly with them. You want to make them feel unwelcome anytime they are around you. And people say all the time, 'Well, I'm not feeding the bear, I'm just trying to get a good close-up picture of it.' Well, you're still telling that bear that it's okay to be around humans, to the point that it gets human-habituated," said Cameron.
Several euthanized bears have left behind orphaned cubs, mostly taken in by the Appalachian Bear Rescue. The nonprofit said it has taken in more than 25 bears so far this year.
For tips on how to live properly with bears in your area, TWRA says to visit BearWise.