Wildlife officers kill 3 bears after disturbing incident with woman on her porch: 'The level of risk posed by these bears was significant'

Three black bears were euthanized by Tennessee wildlife officials following a woman's survival of an encounter with them, reports indicate. WBIR .

What's happening?

The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) set up traps in a section of Gatlinburg after bears damaged a vehicle while trying to access groceries that were stored within it.

Afterward, a woman standing close by mentioned that she had been bitten and pulled off her porch by a bear. Fortunately, she escaped without injury.

The TWRA officials combed through the region and discovered a juvenile bear caught in one of the traps they had placed. Upon arrival, the team came across an adult female bear along with another yearling. Due to the potential danger presented by these animals as evidenced by the previous occurrences, it was determined necessary to euthanize all three bears.

The TWRA stated that 65 bears were put down in 2024, with 32 of those due to behavioral issues. The first three were eliminated in 2025.

What makes wild animal interactions worrisome?

The core problem is that wild creatures grow accustomed to people following frequent interactions.

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"The degree of danger presented by these bears was considerable," stated the TWRA, according to WBIR These creatures had grown accustomed to humans due to regular feeding and were familiar with people around them, leading to multiple instances of property destruction and more audacious actions such as getting into cars and eventually ending up in this interaction with a person.

In situations where there's additional food motivation or when their young are close by, animals may turn aggressive. This phenomenon has been observed in Appalachia. these kinds of intimidating circumstances before Some of them might even turn deadly .

What actions are being taken regarding interactions with wild animals?

Since these black bear incidents occurred beyond the city boundaries, there are no fines imposed for disposing of trash or food in areas where wildlife might detect them.

In other jurisdictions, those fines can be in the neighborhood of $200. Some think there should be stronger federal laws to dissuade careless behavior from nature enthusiasts.

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Greg Grieco, who leads operations at Appalachian Bear Rescue, stated that 'our legislature needs to take action and enact laws that provide our bears with at least a fair shot.' WBIR .

As much as we should be concerned for the well-being of bears, this region experiences more conflicts with bears than any other part of the country," Grieco went on. "This situation ends up harming our bear population. We certainly cherish our bears, yet we haven’t shown sufficient dedication to enact legislation aimed at protecting them.

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Wildlife officials euthanize 3 bears following a concerning encounter with a woman on her veranda: "The degree of danger presented by these bears was substantial." first appeared on The Cool Down .