After grabbing dinner, a tourist in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, almost witnessed another person become dinner.
In an Instagram reel posted by touronsofnationalparks (@touronsofnationalparks), a group of tourists were shown getting chased by a black bear through the streets of downtown Gatlinburg.
In the clip, several people are seen running frantically across a crosswalk as a black bear lumbers behind them, briefly halting traffic. One man nervously jogs sideways, looking back at the bear, while others scatter.
The video is one of many that highlight the growing number of human-bear encounters in places like Gatlinburg, which sits on the border of Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
As towns expand and more tourists flock to bear country, these moments are becoming alarmingly common. But while the footage may be funny or dramatic, experts warn that scenes like this put both people and animals in danger.
When bears become accustomed to human presence, they can lose their natural fear of people. This habituation increases the likelihood of dangerous encounters, which may result in authorities euthanizing the bear to protect public safety.
For instance, in 2019, a young black bear in Oregon was euthanized after people repeatedly fed it and took selfies, leading the animal to approach humans regularly.
Similarly, in Lake Tahoe, a bear named Hank the Tank invaded 21 homes.
"Gatlinburg area is probably the worst for bear habituation in the country. And the bears get killed for it when it's the people doing it," said one commenter on the post.
Securing food sources, maintaining a safe distance, and avoiding actions that attract bears are crucial steps in preventing habituation. While these steps are critical to keeping people at a safe distance from bears, sometimes encounters can still happen.
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I'd pay for it myself 💪 "First rule, don't run. Black bears are shy, give them space, stay still and they walk right past you. I encounter them quite often and nothing ever happens," advised another commenter.
Thankfully, this incident appeared to resolve itself with no one or bear harmed.
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