Black bear spotted running through downtown Knoxville
When Kathleen Goldsby moved to Knoxville two and a half years ago, she joined a hiking group and hoped she'd be lucky enough to spot a black bear some day.
She didn't expect her first sighting to be from the balcony of her condo at The Overlook on the west side of downtown.
Goldsby's husband, Thomas, was out walking their elderly dog, Dandy, at about 4:45 a.m. along Main Street when he ran into a Knoxville police officer shining his spotlight along the First Baptist Church lawn.
The officer rolled down his window and asked him if he had seen a bear.
The police department received two calls about the bear, said spokesman Scott Erland. The first caller, at 4:45 a.m., reported a black bear running on Walnut Street toward Main Street, Erland said.
Thomas Goldsby took the officer's advice to return home from his walk, spotting the bear after he got off the elevator of their Hill Avenue condo building.
"I looked over the balcony and there he was," Kathleen told Knox News.
In a mobile phone video shot by Kathleen, the bear can be seen walking away from a garage and along the alley bordering a parking lot and then continuing north on Locust Street.
A second call about the bear came in about an hour later, Erland said, with the caller reporting a "baby bear" running up Central Street toward Summit Hill Drive.
Erland said the police department notified the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, and the animal experts advised to let it move along.
"We wouldn't really 'handle' it unless it was a situation where we needed to get involved," Erland said. "As long as no one bothers it or gets it spooked."
Bear sightings in Knoxville occur with some frequency. Erland said he recalled one instance, about three years ago, when a bear refused to leave a tree in Morningside Gardens Apartments in the Five Points neighborhood. In that instance, TWRA wildlife officers tranquilized the bear and relocated it to a forest, he said.
Bear populations are growing in Tennessee, but it is more common to see bears in the spring and summer, according to the TWRA website.
East Tennessee's black bears are normally elusive and shy animals, and unless they have become accustomed to human food sources, they tend to avoid people, the website says.
"Prevent any conflicts by treating bears with respect as they are wild animals whose behaviors can be unpredictable," the site advises.
If you encounter a bear at close range, the TWRA advises, "Make your presence known by yelling and shouting at the bear in an attempt to scare it away. If a bear is reluctant to leave then proceed to throw rocks or other objects at the bear while continuing to yell. Portray yourself as the dominant animal and do not back down. If a bear is close enough that you feel uncomfortable, slowly back away, continuing to yell while watching the bear at all times. Never run from a black bear as this may trigger a natural response to chase."
Liz Kellar is a public safety reporter for Knox News. She can be reached by email at lkellar@knoxnews.com.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Black bear running through downtown Knoxville sparks 911 calls
