Black Bear Safety in the Smoky Mountains
There are approximately 1,600 black bears that call the Great Smoky Mountains National Park home. Seeing these beautiful creatures is why many families make the trip to the Smoky Mountains . With its great wooded areas and open fields, Cades Cove offers the best chance to see black bears in the Smokies . In this week’s blog, Cades Cove Heritage Tours would like to remind you that these bears are wild animals and give you some safety tips if you encounter a bear. Keep Your Distance The most important thing to remember is to keep a safe distance. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park requires you to stay at least 50 yards away from bears at all time. If you get closer than 50 yards, you could be fined or even be arrested. Bear attacks are very uncommon, but bears will protect food and cubs, so if you get to close, they could see you as a threat. Do Not Feed Them If you have food, keep it secured and never leave it unattended. Never feed the bears! This can be very dangerous ...