Gatlinburg hotel kicks out guests for being close to bears

[Jilly_in_VA]

On Sunday morning, eyewitnesses described the blood-boiling moments when two people were seen actually walking up to a bear and petting it.

This happened Sunday morning at the Quality Inn Creekside hotel in downtown Gatlinburg. Owner Raj Patel said he was made aware of the incident when he saw pictures of a woman extending her hand just inches away from a bear’s mouth.

Misty Chrismon captured those photos and said that the woman actually made contact with the bear, and the bear swiped at her moments after. It was only at that time that the woman left the bear alone.

“She was petting the nose and everything, and then she put her hand out pretending she had food for the bear,” said Chrismon.

https://www.wvlt.tv/2022/08/02/gatlinburg-hotel-kicks-out-guests-being-close-bears/

Another entry in the "people are stupid" contest. Bears are wildlife, dummy, even in downtown Gatlinburg!

[hlthe2b]

1. Maybe this bear wants to hang her head on his wall in his den, in imitation of

his human neighbors--and she seems to willingly volunteer.

[niyad]

2. We have a lot of bears around here, but we have enough sense not to try to

pet them. Several years ago, we had a bear who wandered one neghborhood for several weeks. Nobody freaked, but nobody was stupid, either. "hey, Betty, grab your camera, the bear is headed your way." "oh, look, the bear slept on your lawn last night." But we do not pet, or feed, our bears. No Yogis here!

[we can do it]

3. Cue the person defending people approaching bison in Yellowstone in 3..2...1

[EYESORE 9001]

5. Oh no they dint!

Please tell me that nobody who posts on this site has defended getting up close and personal with bison in Yellowstone. Can you please give me that tiny crumb of reassurance?

[we can do it]

7. I wish I could but I can't.

[Bayard]

4. Darwin Award

[Duppers]

15. Yep. 👍

[Docreed2003]

6. Idiots

It's all fun and games till someone gets their arm ripped off.

[we can do it]

8. And sadly the bear acting like a bear will be put down.

[TreasonousBastard]

9. I kneq a guy who moved way up North in Joisey. Warren... 3

County or sonething.

He aaid he saw bear cubs pkaying in his back yard and they were so cute he had to check them out.

All of a sudden, mama bear came busting through the brush like a freight train and said he felt hwr hot breath on his ass as he hid in the kitchen.

I've always suspected the last part was just good story telling. If she was that close he wouldn't be telling us about it.

[twodogsbarking]

10. I have witnessed people running past the "bear warning" signs to feed the bears.

With little kids.

[Jilly_in_VA]

11. Bears are a constant

in Gatlinburg. They wander down the main street with impunity, usually late at night though, and they regularly visit hotels, scouting to see if anyone has failed to secure trash cans or dumpsters. All the hotels routinely caution their visitors, as do restaurants, and residents have learned to live with them. But some people are just fucking STUPID! And as we all know, there is no cure for that.

[Lars39]

12. Many times the only bears we saw were on the little loop in/near Gatlinburg

[3Hotdogs]

13. Yeah, but he was so cute.

And I think he liked me.

[Duppers]

14. ....