KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) - The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency is investigating after a report that someone was feeding bears near Lovell Road.

“Unfortunately, we’re seeing more instances where individuals are placing food out for wildlife in order to view them, which often leads to complaints from neighbors,” the agency’s Matthew Cameron said.

Related Coverage: See a bear in the Smokies? What to do and how to report rule-breakers

It isn’t illegal to feed bears in Tennessee (other than city-level enforcement in Gatlinburg), but the TWRA says feeding bears can lead to them becoming comfortable to humans. When a bear gets used to being around people, it puts the humans and the bear itself at risk.

"While we work to educate the public on the dangers of both intentional and unintenti

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