Posted 10/25/22

A man vacationing in Gatlinburg was injured over the weekend when a black bear entered his cabin and charged at him, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency announced.

Authorities said the man was staying at a rental cabin near downtown Gatlinburg when he walked into the kitchen Saturday night to find the bear. Wildlife officers said the bear entered through a set of locked French doors.

TWRA said the bear charged the man and caused injuries to his head and scratched him across his back as he retreated to the bedroom before calling 911.

A trap was set at the scene and a bear fitting the description was caught and euthanized. The bear was a 209-pound female.

Hair samples have been sent for DNA analysis and the claws have been swabbed for human hemoglobin testing, Results are expected later this week.