Gatlinburg Police Free Black Bear From Hotel Bathroom After $50 in Damage
Updated
Updated · Fox News · May 11
Gatlinburg Police Free Black Bear From Hotel Bathroom After $50 in Damage
2 articles · Updated · Fox News · May 11
Gatlinburg police responded at about 2:33 a.m. Friday after a black bear entered an exterior bathroom at a downtown Quality Inn & Suites and locked itself inside.
Body-camera video shows officers opening the door, then shouting and beating sticks together as the bear walked out and headed down the sidewalk.
No one was injured in the incident, and the only reported damage was a shattered mirror, estimated at $50.
Around 1,900 black bears live in the Smoky Mountains, and sightings in Gatlinburg are common this time of year, though police said a bear locking itself in a hotel bathroom was unusual.
A bear in a bathroom is a viral story, but does it signal a dangerous future for tourist towns?
With 100 bears recently euthanized, will Tennessee's new anti-feeding law be enough to protect the Smokies' residents?