Guests at a Days Inn in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, got quite a surprise recently when an uninvited visitor wandered through the lobby — a black bear, casually digging into pizza leftovers from a trash can.
The encounter, captured in an Instagram video shared by Smoky Mountain Faith, Food, and Fun (@smokymtfaithfoodfun), shows the bear calmly foraging through discarded food as stunned onlookers keep a safe distance. The caption notes that no one was injured and that the bear eventually left the hotel on its own.
While the moment may seem humorous at first glance, many viewers saw something more troubling behind the bear’s unexpected hotel visit. In the comments, users expressed concern about the growing number of human-wildlife encounters in areas like Gatlinburg — a gateway to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
These encounters are becoming increasingly common as human development expands into once-wild habitats. Experts say habitat loss, food scarcity, and the impacts of climate change — including shifts in natural food availability — are driving bears and other wildlife closer to populated areas in search of meals.
According to the BBC, climate-related resource shortages can lead animals to seek food in risky places, putting both people and wildlife in danger. Environmental advocates stress that small acts — like properly securing trash bins and avoiding feeding wild animals — can help reduce these conflicts and keep ecosystems in balance.
One Instagram user joked about the situation: “The baby just wanted pizza …”
Others, however, were quick to point out the danger to both the spectators and bear.
“The constant feeding from tourists and lack of responsibility from businesses has made animals that don’t fear humans,” one commenter wrote. “A fed bear is a dead bear.” Another added, “This is sad.”
Community-led conservation efforts helping to protect wildlife habitats, such as volunteer trash cleanups and bear-safe waste management initiatives, can pave the way to a safer, cleaner future.
Protecting wild animals like this curious bear starts with keeping their homes — and ours — clean and separate.
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