SEVIER COUNTY, Tenn. (WOKI / WVLT) – Appalachian Bear Rescue is calling for stronger protections against human-bear conflicts after a bear cub was killed by an improperly secured trash receptacle in a neighborhood just outside Gatlinburg.
The organization reported Monday that a supporter came across the incident and shared photographs showing a bear cub crushed beneath a fallen bear-resistant trash cage.
According to Appalachian Bear Rescue Executive Director Greg Grieco, the receptacle involved was a top-opening bear-resistant container that had not been anchored into the ground. Officials said the mother bear pulled on the container while attempting to access trash inside, causing it to tip over and fatally crush the cub.
“This is a 100% preventable death to a bear cub,” Grieco said. “It’s incredibly unnecessary to have instances like this. And it’s sadly ironic that one of the measures people put in place to protect bears, such as locking up trash, actually led to a bear being killed unnecessarily.”
Grieco believes the mother bear had likely gained access to unsecured trash elsewhere before the incident, reinforcing behavior that draws bears into residential areas.
“This mother bear has probably accessed unsecured trash before, which led her more likely to try and get into these types of receptacles,” he said. “Unfortunately, we don’t have enough measures in place in places like Sevier County to enforce proper food storage and prevent the feeding of bears.”
Proper Installation Critical
Local business owner Damien Bukowski, whose company Bear Proof Trash Cans has installed bear-resistant cages across the Smokies region for more than a decade, said proper installation is just as important as the container itself.
Bukowski said every cage installed by his company is anchored one foot into the ground with four anchor points and approximately 100 pounds of concrete for each leg.
“You can have a well-built cage, but if it’s not installed properly, a bear is just going to knock it down the mountain,” Bukowski said. “It’s a couple hundred pounds to us, but to a bear it’s like nothing, especially if they see that as a source of food.”
He warned that simply placing a cage on a shallow concrete slab is often not enough to withstand a determined bear.
“You can have the best well-built cage. You can have a cage built out of a half-inch steel. If it’s not put into the ground, it’s not going to be a bear-proof trash container,” Bukowski said.
The company does not install top-opening cages because of concerns that lids can injure people or trap wildlife. It also recommends placing trash containers in open, visible locations to reduce surprise encounters between humans and bears.
Regulatory Questions Remain
The incident occurred outside Gatlinburg city limits, meaning the city’s local ordinance requiring bear-resistant trash containers does not apply.
Currently, Sevier County has no countywide ordinance requiring food-storage measures or prohibiting the intentional or unintentional feeding of bears.
The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency told WVLT News its authority is limited to existing regulations covering Gatlinburg and certain posted areas. TWRA also noted there are no statewide rules requiring trash containers to be anchored or otherwise secured.
A new Tennessee law that took effect July 1 gives Sevier County the option to work with local law enforcement and TWRA to establish designated areas where feeding bears would be prohibited and enforceable. However, the law does not automatically create those restrictions, leaving the decision to local officials.
Grieco is urging county leaders to act, saying stronger regulations could help prevent future bear deaths and reduce dangerous interactions between wildlife and people.
He also pointed to the area’s growing short-term rental market as a factor, arguing that large amounts of trash generated by vacation rentals can create additional opportunities for bears to access food sources.
WVLT News contacted Sevier County officials about potential policy changes and current regulations. As of publication, the county had not responded.
