“Don’t feed the bears!” Everyone has heard it, but it keeps happening (intentionally or unintentionally), usually with deadly consequences for the bears.
A recent video from a Gatlinburg hotel shows people tossing food to bears in the Little Pigeon River below.
Here’s the problem:
- Bears that get used to human food lose their fear of us.
- They start hanging around populated areas, looking for more snacks.
- This often leads to aggressive behavior, and bears that start doing this end up being put down.
Not only is it dangerous, it’s illegal.
We all love seeing bears, but just watch from a distance. Don’t be the reason a bear has to be euthanized.