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Summary
Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee experienced six incidents involving black bears over a weekend, including a bear biting a visitor and stealing backpacks. The park is home to approximately 1,900 black bears, and rangers were kept busy responding to the incidents. The start of spring can be a challenging time for national parks with bear populations as the animals emerge from hibernation and search for food. The incidents took place on two trails, with one trail still closed as of Tuesday morning.
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The habit of bears stealing backpacks gets a new name.
Bears in Great Smoky Mountains National Park are feeling bold, stealing backpacks and biting visitors. The park’s 1,900 black bears are emerging from hibernation and searching for food. Rangers are keeping busy responding to incidents, including one where a bear bit a visitor who entered a closed area. The park’s trails are a hotspot for bear activity, and visitors need to keep their heads on a swivel. Bears are just doing their job, being their usual, slightly aggressive selves.
Bears are just trying to get their spring break started.
