Black bear sightings around the Smokey Mountains are a reasonably common.
Tree Top SkyWalk is a famous bridge in Anakeesta, which is a theme park in Gatlinburg, TN and is adjacent to the Great Smoky National Park
The following written content from Morgan Overholt
Normally they are spotted from a distance, or trying to sneak off with some unattended trash.
But every once in a while, you might spot a bear enjoying one of the park’s many attractions, like the infamous coaster-crossing bear, or this TreeTop SkyWalk bear from last Thursday.
Anakeesta posted a video of the unique encounter on their Facebook and Instagram with the caption:
“Thursday had the perfect amount of rain for SOME of our guests, like this guy who really seemed to enjoy his walk on #Anakeestas TreeTop Skywalk! No guests were impacted, and the employee who took this video was a safe distance away.”
The footage was captured by Barrett Ogle, the manager on duty. All of Anakeesta’s managers are trained in bear safety and protocols..
“The bears are ‘waking up’ for the season and we have seen a few on the property,” said Michele Canney, Anakeesta’s Vice President of Marketing and Sales. “Located so close to the National Park, Anakeesta is a natural wildlife corridor so it is not uncommon to see a bear when visiting Anakeesta.”
“Typically the bears stick to the forest floor but I guess this one heard about our exciting Treetop adventures in the Smokies and wanted to try the Treetop Skywalk out for himself!”
Read Also: Why black bears don’t really ‘hibernate’ in the Smokies
The park was open during the encounter, but due to rain there were few visitors in the park at the time.
As stated, no guests were harmed and the video was taken from a safe distance.
Many thanks to the team at Anakeesta for allowing us to share this story and the video on TheSmokies.com.
Anakeesta is one of Gatlinburg’s most popular destinations. This “theme park in the mountains” features some of the best views in the Smokies and a variety of attractions including a scenic chondola ride, AnaVista Tower, Treetop Skywalk, dueling zip-lines and the fan-favorite Rail-Runner mountain coaster.
The importance of black bear safety in the Smokies
As with every article we write about bear encounters, and every video we share, we like to remind our readers about the importance of black bear safety.
The National Park Service reminds us that it is important not to approach a black bear and not to let a black bear approach you whenever reasonably possible.
Read More: What to do if you see a black bear in the Smokies; 3 safety tips
“If your presence causes the bear to change its behavior (stops feeding, changes its travel direction, watches you, etc.) you are too close,” reads the NPS.gov website.
If a black bear seems to have taken an interest in you, back away slowly, and do not turn your back to the bear. Read more from The Smokies
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