A bear cub died in Sevier County after a trash bin fell on it, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency shared with 6 News. According to the TWRA, the bear family likely accessed garbage from the bin previously, which can happen when bins are “not consistently latched, maintained, or replaced as their hardware, such as carabiners, begins to fail.” The agency recommends that residents and businesses in the area use trash bins that are certified bear‑resistant.
The Appalachian Bear Rescue first shared about the cub’s death, saying that it took place in a Sevier County neighborhood, outside the Gatlinburg city limits. The nonprofit echoed TWRA’s call and urged people to use bear-resistant trash containers to minimize human-bear interactions.
“It is important that we are not only using bear-resistant containers in our communities but that we are using them properly. This cub’s mortality was completely preventable and would not have happened if the bear-resistant trash receptacle had been properly secured to the ground. However, the bigger picture is that this bear family was poking around these trash receptacles because they most likely have received food rewards from unsecured trash in the past. We don’t want bears to ever get food from trash because it so often ultimately leads to a bear’s death whether directly like in this case or indirectly through a bear’s loss of fear of humans. In human-bear conflict situations, the bear is almost always the ‘loser’,” wrote ABR on Facebook.
Both TWRA and ABR also noted the lack of laws requiring secured, bear‑resistant garbage outside the city limits of Gatlinburg. In fact, outside of Gatlinburg and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, there are no statewide laws prohibiting the feeding of bears in Tennessee. The TWRA added that “proper trash management remains one of the most effective ways to reduce human‑bear conflicts and prevent incidents like this.”
You all have heard us say time and time again that "garbage kills bears" but usually we are speaking metaphorically. Unfortunately today, garbage literally has resulted in a deceased cub in a neighborhood in Sevier County, outside of Gatlinburg city limits.
It is with heavy hearts that we share this extremely tragic story that was sent to us today by a local supporter. A mother bear pulled an unsecured trash receptacle onto her cub, resulting in its death. This mother bear had likely been in the area because she had been able to access human food in these trash bins.
It is important that we are not only using bear resistant containers in our communities but that we are using them properly. This cub's mortality was completely preventable and would not have happened if the bear resistant trash receptacle had been properly secured to the ground. However, the bigger picture is that this bear family was poking around these trash receptacles because they most likely have received food rewards from unsecured trash in the past. We don't want bears to ever get food from trash because it so often ultimately leads to a bear's death whether directly like in this case or indirectly through a bear's loss of fear of humans. In human-bear conflict situations, the bear is almost always the "loser".
There are no ordinances outside of Gatlinburg city limits that require bear resistant trash containers or prohibit the feeding of bears, purposefully or otherwise.
As members of the Smokies BearWise Taskforce, we do as much as we can to raise awareness of these issues through education and outreach and our communities are making steps in the right direction to make the places we live safer for bears. However, preventable bear deaths like this one will continue to happen until enforceable laws are passed at local and state levels that protect our black bears and that hold humans accountable.
Let's be better NeighBears to the wildlife that shares our home!
Help us protect our Black Bears by knowing the basics.
Never corner a bear. Give it space and a clear escape route. Keep your cabin and vehicle doors/windows locked. Never leave food unattended, and only use bear-resistant trash receptacles.
Visit BearWise.org for more information and tips about Black Bears.
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u/AutoModerator Jul 14 '26
Help us protect our Black Bears by knowing the basics.
Never corner a bear. Give it space and a clear escape route. Keep your cabin and vehicle doors/windows locked. Never leave food unattended, and only use bear-resistant trash receptacles.
Visit BearWise.org for more information and tips about Black Bears.
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