BELOW SUPERNAV drop zone ⇩

Bear euthanized after breaking into Tennessee home

MAIN AREA TOP drop zone ⇩

MAIN AREA TOP drop zone ⇩

AUTO TEST CUSTOM HTML 20241114185800

SEVIER COUNTY, Tenn. (WATE) — The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency euthanized a bear on Friday after it broke into a Sevier County home through a garage and began eating from a refrigerator.

The TWRA confirmed to NewsNation affiliate WATE Saturday afternoon that the bear had been frequenting the area previously and getting into the truck beds of cabin cleaner’s vehicles and construction dumpsters.

“Per the bear conflict matrix, this bear was trapped, and humanely killed. This bear was past the point of being able to have its behavior changed through hazing or location,” TWRA spokesperson Matt Cameron said.

The TWRA shared that it recommends hazing bears to deter them from human populated areas and issues rubber buckshot to residents for that purpose. The Humane Society of the United States describes hazing as a method of using deterrents to move an animal out of an area or to discourage undesirable behavior.

Three bear cubs named Bubbles, Mojo and Fuzzy, who were taken in by Appalachian Bear Rescue after their mother was euthanized by the TWRA after it broke into a home. (Appalachian Bear Rescue)

Friday evening, Appalachian Bear Rescue also shared that the euthanized bear was a mother who had three female cubs. ABR took in the cubs after they were trapped by the TWRA. The rescue also shared that the mother bears was trapped at a Sevierville address in Sevier County, but the home is right outside of Gatlinburg.

“Unfortunately, there is no public trash service in the county areas of Sevier County. People must take their trash to convenience centers. To exacerbate the problem, there is a lot of construction going on in the area. There are lots and lots of construction dumpsters that are not bear-resistant.”

The cubs were taken to the UT College of Veterinary Medicine for medical exams and are healthy, ABR said. They have since been named “Bubbles,” “Mojo,” and “Fuzzy.”

The rescue now has 19 bear cubs and yearlings in their care.

Mid-South

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed

Site Settings Survey

 

MAIN AREA MIDDLE drop zone ⇩

Trending on NewsNation

MAIN AREA BOTTOM drop zone ⇩

tt

KC Chiefs parade shooting: 1 dead, 21 shot including 9 kids | Morning in America

Witness of Chiefs parade shooting describes suspect | Banfield

Kansas City Chiefs parade shooting: Mom of 2 dead, over 20 shot | Banfield

WWE star Ashley Massaro 'threatened' by board to keep quiet about alleged rape: Friend | Banfield

Friend of WWE star: Ashley Massaro 'spent hours' sobbing after alleged rape | Banfield

Clear

la

59°F Clear Feels like 59°
Wind
5 mph SW
Humidity
82%
Sunrise
Sunset

Tonight

Some clouds. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 52F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph.
52°F Some clouds. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 52F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph.
Wind
6 mph WSW
Precip
15%
Sunset
Moon Phase
Waxing Gibbous