Black bear rescued after 'bear jam' forms in Great Smoky Mountain National Park
Black bears are native to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and should never be intentionally disturbed or interacted with by humans or pets within the park.
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GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK, Tenn.– A young black bear was rescued from a steep bank in Great Smoky Mountains National Park in October after onlookers formed a "bear jam."
According to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the black bear was likely frightened while trying to cross a busy road, and scampered up an embankment to escape traffic.
As people stopped to watch the bear, it became trapped, creating a dangerous situation for the animal and the people watching it, the national park said.
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A "bear jam" happens when traffic backs up by people stopping to watch a bear on or near a road.
"While we usually let wildlife navigate their environment without interference, this situation called for action," the park said.
So, a coordinated team of law enforcement, wildlife biologists, preventative search and rescue rangers (PSAR) and maintenance teams got to work rescuing the bear.
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The bear was guided into the backhoe bucket.
(Great Smoky Mountains National Park/NPS Photo / FOX Weather)
The bear was safely tranquilized by the biologists while law enforcement managed traffic and the PSAR rangers rappelled down the embankment to coax the bear into the bucket of a waiting backhoe.
The bear was rescued without injury.
"We're proud of the creative, compassionate rangers that made this possible," Great Smoky Mountains National Park said.
Black bears are native to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and should never be intentionally disturbed or interacted with by humans or pets within the park.
The national park said willfully approaching a bear 150 feet or any distance that disturbs or displaces a bear, is illegal.