350-pound bear euthanized after ripping tent, scratching woman and child in national park

A black bear was euthanized in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park due to a risk of human safety, rangers say, after it ripped into a tent and scratched a mother and her child Sunday.

Both people went to the hospital for “sustained superficial lacerations to their heads,” according to a National Park Service news release. 

The incident happened at the Elkmont Campground on the Tennessee side of the park. 

“If bear incidents are reported, park rangers post warnings or close sites appropriately to help prevent conflicts,” Lead Resource Education Park Ranger Rhonda Wise wrote to the Citizen Times by email.

The park now has two backcountry shelters closed – Russell Field and Cosby Knob –and three backcountry campsites: Nos. 36, 37 and 61 are also closed for “escalated bear behavior,” Wise said.

The Elkmont Campground was scheduled to reopen later in the day June 14, she said. 

A family of five was sleeping in a tent with their dog when the bear ripped in around 5:20 a.m. on June 12, the release says.

“The father was able to scare the bear from the tent and campsite, but only after several attempts. The family left a note at the campground office to report the incident and departed the campground to seek medical attention.”

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Park officials were notified of the incident around 8:50 a.m. by campground hosts.

“Rangers responded to the site, closed the immediate area, interviewed the father of the involved family along with other campers and collected site information such as bear tracks and other markers that could help identify it,” according to the release.

A male bear that matched a description later entered the campsite.

The bear showed “extreme food-conditioned behavior and lack of fear of humans,” and “boldly” entered the trap, the release says. 

“The bear weighed approximately 350 pounds, which is not standard for this time of year, suggesting the bear had previous and likely consistent access to non-natural food sources,” Chief of Resource Management Lisa McInnis said in the release. 

“In this incident, the bear was likely attracted to food smells throughout the area, including dog food at the involved campsite. It is very difficult to deter this learned behavior and, as in this case, the result can lead to an unacceptable risk to people.”