SEVIERVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — A man shot and killed a bear that broke into his Sevierville home Sunday, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) reports.

Around 1:30 p.m., an elderly man was asleep when he heard noises from his kitchen, the TWRA stated. He got up to investigate and found a yearling black bear that had broken in through a screen door. According to the man, the same bear had recently broken into a nearby outbuilding as well.

The bear left the home but wouldn't leave the man's property, so he shot it, and it later died. A TWRA wildlife officer determined that no violations had occurred.

The TWRA said it is unusual for black bears to go into occupied houses, but it can happen if people keep feeding them, either intentionally or unintentionally, through unsecured garbage

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