Updated
Updated · Fox News · May 11
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?