A tourist who captured close-up video of a black bear is facing backlash from the online community, calling out their lack of respect for the wild animal.
In a subreddit for the city of Gatlinburg, Tennessee, a user posted footage of them standing on a balcony just low enough for a black bear to stand up and place its paws on while observing the tourists, with only a meager fence separating them.
(Click here to watch the video if the embed does not appear.)
The tourist was excited by their close encounter, writing in the caption: “Managed to get an exclusive interview with a bear in Downtown Gatlinburg just 10 minutes ago.”
But Redditors were quick to point out the dangers for the bear and the human.
“Do not get close to the bears, it’s irresponsible and can get yourself or others hurt, and could even get the bear killed,” one person wrote.
A Gatlinburg resident said: “As a local, we hate people like you. Give them the distance they need. It’s illegal to be that close.”
“You are part of the problem!” declared another angry commenter.
The Redditors’ collective anger with the tourist is justified. Black bears are unfortunately very accustomed to being around humans, often relying on us as a source of food by eating garbage and other materials left outside.
Encroachment on their habitats and extreme weather changes caused by planet-warming gases have also driven black bears and other wildlife farther from their habitats in search of food, increasing the frequency of interactions between humans and bears.
Unfortunately, these close encounters can often end in injury or worse for the person involved, and sadly, lead to euthanasia for the bears. Three young bears were “lethally removed” in Tennessee earlier this year after a woman was bitten and dragged from her porch.
As many Redditors pointed out, and authorities like the National Park Service and Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency can back up, the key is to keep your distance and not feed the bears, either purposefully or accidentally, by leaving trash and other food out. The more we respect these animals, the better the chance we can all coexist peacefully.
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