Bear euthanized after injuring Tennessee theme park concession stand employee

A black bear in was put down after helping itself to food in a park concession stand and injuring a worker.

Jun 26, 2024 - 07:05
Bear euthanized after injuring Tennessee theme park concession stand employee

A Tennessee black bear was euthanized after a video went viral last week showing the wild animal helping itself to gumbo in a theme park concession stand and injuring a worker, according to wildlife officials.

The bear raided the aptly-named "Bear Can" concession stand at the Anakeesta Mountaintop Adventure Park in Gatlinburg, WVLT-TV reported.

DESANTIS SIGNS BILL ALLOWING RESIDENTS TO KILL BEARS, VETOES BILL THAT FINES SLOW LEFT LANE DRIVERS

"He is just all about that gumbo," one witness is overheard saying in the video shot by Zachary Recchia.

In the footage, the bear is seen helping itself to food and staring at bewildered customers while standing on its hind legs before turning to leave as an unsuspecting worker enters the doorway of the stand. The beast lunges and swats at the female employee, who stepped back before dropping a large pot and alertly running into the stand and slamming the door shut.

The employee sustained minor injuries to her arm and her back from the incident, according to wildlife officials.

After the incident, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) searched the perimeter for black bears. On Monday, the TWRA released a statement that it had discovered a bear matching the video's description and euthanized the animal, according to WVLT-TV.

CALIFORNIA WOMAN WAS HARASSED BY AGGRESSIVE BLACK BEAR SHE NAMED ‘BIG B---ARD’ BEFORE FATAL MAULING IN HOME

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Anakeesta park and the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.