The Great Smoky Mountain Journal
Tuesday, January 01, 2019 03:01 PM
Cades Cove Expecting Busy Weekend Over Memorial Day With "Bear Jams"
Craig Mortimore said he greets all visitors to the loop with a few reminders when it comes to the park's most popular wildlife, black bears.
"People are allowed to observe the bears it's one of the things that brings them here, but I tell them to try to stay in their cars, try not to block the road, don't approach any closer than 50 yards because they can cover that distance in a split second," said Mortimore.
Volunteers on the loop said they do their best to respond to a bear sighting and keep traffic flowing in an effort to keep people and the bears safe.
Other visitors feel most people are smart and will not get too close to bears, but they also try to inform those who try to get too close.
"We just know that we shouldn't get close to them, not go play with them or something," said one visitor.
TWRA says feeding a bear could lead to fines or jail time and death for the bear.
Matt Cameron with the Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency explained Tuesday that a bear could be euthanized if it becomes comfortable around humans.
"The actions of irresponsible people are the reason these bears had to be killed," Cameron said. "They are killing these bears by acting irresponsibly."
