GATLINBURG, Tenn. — A social media video of a bear making contact with an Anakeesta Mountaintop Adventure Park employee caught the attention of many on Thursday.
Anakeesta sent a release saying they were made aware of the video and ensured that they work to create a safe space for people and wildlife animals of the Great Smokies to "co-exist."
“Bears are a big part of the magic in the Great Smoky Mountains,” Austin Martin, communications manager, said. “The Anakeesta team works diligently to create a safe space to co-exist with the native wildlife.”
The video showed a black bear nearing a concession stand in the eastern part of the park. According to the release, at around 9:30 p.m., the bear entered the employee entrance of the stand, "Bear Can." The bear was then leaving through the employee entrance when it encountered a worker entering the concession stand, startling both the employee and the animal.
At that point, the bear and the employee made brief physical contact. The employee in the video was not seriously injured and opted not to receive medical attention, Anakeesta said.
Anakeesta’s park operations were not affected by this incident, according to the release.
Anakeesta is surrounded by the Great Smoky Mountains National Park on three sides. The mountains are home to many woodland creatures including black bears. Black bears are native to East Tennessee and are highly populated in this area.
"We encourage guests to enjoy the views of the bears, at a safe distance," Anakeesta said in a release.