Gatlinburg Tourists Smash SUV Window to Free Trapped Black Bear Near 1,900-Bear Park
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Aug 24
Gatlinburg Tourists Smash SUV Window to Free Trapped Black Bear Near 1,900-Bear Park
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Aug 24
Summary
Video from Gatlinburg shows tourists smashing an SUV’s rear window with a rock after a young black bear became trapped inside and could not be unlocked from outside.
The bear likely climbed in searching for food, then accidentally locked itself inside with the keys; once the glass shattered, it crawled out and ran off.
Gatlinburg sits beside Great Smoky Mountains National Park, home to about 1,900 American black bears and roughly 12 million annual visitors, making warm-weather encounters common.
Recent Colorado cases show the risk can turn deadly: one trapped bear died in Colorado Springs earlier this month, while another was freed after damaging an unlocked vehicle in Manitou Springs.
The National Park Service tells Smoky Mountains visitors to lock vehicles and keep food, garbage and other scented items out to avoid attracting bears.