A black bear wandered into a concession stand last week and attacked an employee at Anakeesta Mountaintop Adventure Park in Gatlinburg, Tennessee.
According to USA Today, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency said a bear matching the description of the animal involved in the attack was captured and euthanized.
The bear was not a candidate for relocation because it was believed to have injured a person, according to the agency’s black bear coordinator, Dan Gibbs.
“TWRA does not enjoy having to euthanize any wildlife, especially bears and we don’t do it indiscriminately,” Gibbs said, per USA Today. “We utilize what we call the ‘Bear Conflict Matrix,’ which was developed by wildlife professionals as a guide for addressing human/bear conflict.”
The incident, which occurred June 20 around 9:30 p.m., was caught on video by customers at the “Bear Can” concession stand. The bear entered through an employee entrance that had been propped open with a mop.
Standing on its hind legs, the bear ate some snacks while observing the park guests.
“Look, he’s drooling,” one park guest remarked. “He’s all about this gumbo.”
As the bear turned to exit the stand, an employee walked in, startling the bear. The bear lunged at her, appearing to swipe at her arm before running off.
The employee hurried to the concession stand and closed the door, checking her arm for injuries.
Anakeesta said in a statement, per USA Today, that the employee had minor injuries and did not require medical treatment.
The park, surrounded by the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, is working with the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency to reduce animal encounters.
“Our team is expanding our partnership with TWRA by implementing new initiatives to keep bears and people safe during their Smoky Mountain vacations,” Anakeesta President Bryce Bentz said in the statement. “We are making improvements to our park every day with guidance from local agencies on how to stay ‘BearWise.’”