90-year-old fends off bears with lawn chair, TN officials say. Mother bear euthanized
A 90-year-old woman was relaxing on her front porch swing in Tennessee when she had unexpected company.
During the afternoon of June 15, a mother black bear and her three cubs clambered onto the porch in Sevierville with the woman, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency told WBIR.
As the bears approached, the woman grabbed a lawn chair and began to shake it in the direction of the bears, hoping to scare them off, according to WBIR. It didn’t work.
The mother bear scratched the woman as she tried to fend them off, according to WATE. After scratching the woman, the bears fled the porch.
The woman drove herself to a local hospital and had non-life-threatening injuries, according to WZTV.
Since the mother bear harmed a human, wildlife officials euthanized it, the outlet reported. They are monitoring the cubs.
McClatchy News reached out to the TWRA about the incident and did not receive an immediate response.
The agency recommends people take action to deter bears from coming onto their property.
“Humans unknowingly attract and provide for wild animals including black bear around their homes. Attractants include bird feeders, trash, birdbaths, and pet food bowls with leftover food,” the TWRA said in a news release about bear safety. “These things can unintentionally lure bears and other unwanted wildlife closer to people. “
Residents should follow these rules to ensure bear safety, according to the agency:
• “Never follow a black bear. Give wildlife plenty of room to vacate an area. Following an animal for photos can unintentionally put wildlife or humans in harm’s way.”
• “Never intentionally feed bears and look for unintentional food sources around homes. Trash, bird feeders, unpicked garden vegetables, greasy grills, and outside pet food can attract bears.”
• “Secure food, garbage, recycling, and grills in areas not accessible to bears and other wildlife.”
• “Alert neighbors to bear activity and make noise when exiting your home to alert wildlife and provide time for them to move away.”
More information on bear safety can be found at Bearwise.org.
Sevierville is about 25 miles southeast of Knoxville.
This story was originally published June 16, 2022 at 2:44 PM with the headline "90-year-old fends off bears with lawn chair, TN officials say. Mother bear euthanized."
