SEVIER COUNTY, Tenn. (WATE) — A gentle bear’s excursion in Tennessee over the weekend is serving as an important reminder to residents and visitors to lock their car doors.
Sierra Graham said she and her husband decided to celebrate their anniversary by visiting Sevier County with their children. As an Appalachian native, Graham said she knows how important locking car doors in bear country is, but after a late night trip out to get something for their children, they forgot to lock the SUV doors back.
When they went out the next morning to take their bags to the SUV, they found that a bear managed to opened three of the SUV’s doors and was in their child’s car seat. By that point, the bear had opened the middle console and helped itself to gummies, M&M’s and what was left of a Cook Out milkshake.
The couple made some noise, and the bear stepped out and moved along. The most interesting part of the story though might be that the bear didn’t cause any damage.
“He was the most considerate bear, left no trace behind. Seriously [I] would’ve never known he was even ever in the car,” Graham said. “A good reminder to always lock the doors, even if it’s late at night and you’re tired and you run out to get something the kids need.”
While the bear involved in this incident did not cause any damage, Graham said the bear later came back to see if there was more food. When he checked the SUV door handle that time, he found the door was locked and continued on to try a neighbor’s car, she said.
Graham’s story is a good reminder of the importance of keeping vehicles locked up and food free when travelling around the Great Smoky Mountains. Other bears in similar situations have caused extensive damage to vehicles after becoming trapped inside. Just a few years ago, a bear died after it got stuck in a car in Sevierville.
On top of the immediate danger for both people and bears that such an experience can have, access to human food can create an even bigger problem. The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency explain that as a bear becomes habituated to human presence, they become a threat to human safety and often end up killed by landowners or have to be euthanized by the TWRA.
For those vacationing in the Smokies, there are several ways to help keep yourself and bears safe. It’s important to give bears plenty of space, avoid feeding them or leaving food out, and dispose of trash properly. To learn more about bear safety, visit bearwise.org.