Bear hurts man vacationing in Gatlinburg cabin after it breaks in overnight
Update: DNA testing confirms the bear that was trapped and euthanized after the attack was the one responsible for the attack, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency announced Thursday.
Wildlife officials have euthanized a black bear that broke into a Gatlinburg rental cabin after it swiped at a man and hurt his face Saturday.
The man walked into the kitchen of the cabin, located near downtown, and was surprised by a bear. It "charged the man and swatted at him causing serious injuries to his face and the top of his head," according to the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. The bear also scratched his back, and he was treated at a hospital.
The man locked himself in a bedroom and called 911.
The bear broke in through locked but not deadbolted French doors.
"A trap was set at the scene and a bear fitting the description was caught and euthanized," the agency said in a press release.
The bear was a 2- or 3-year old without cubs, and she weighed a little over 200 pounds, the agency said.
The agency has advice for those living or vacationing in bear-inhabited regions:
Never feed or approach bears
Secure food, garbage and recycling
Remove bird feeders when bears are active
Never leave pet food outdoors
Clean and store grills
Alert neighbors about bear activity
Last week, a 220 pound female bear was killed along the Gatlinburg Bypass after a crash with a car, according to a Great Smoky Mountains National Park spokesperson. Eleven bears are killed, on average, by drivers in the park each year.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Gatlinburg bear attack: Black bear mauls man inside a rental cabin
