Black Bear Eats at Gatlinburg as Indiana Tourists Watch in Awe

When my friends Lynn Minnis and her husband Jeff from Princeton, Indiana, visited Gatlinburg, Tennessee, they kind of hoped to see a bear. But this was a little too close for comfort.

Why Bears Wander into Gatlinburg

Because of the warm season and breeding cycles, bears can get bolder when hunting for food. Human food sources or the possibility of fresh burgers draw bears closer to town. The Independent Smoky Mountain National Park says that the spike in sightings and calls shows just how often people encounter these magnificent creatures.

Black Bears of the Smokies: Some Stats and Insights

Here’s a quick look at the black bear scene in Gatlinburg and the surrounding Great Smoky Mountains.

Population size: Biologists estimate that somewhere between 1,500 and 1,900 black bears roa