Editor's note: This story has been updated with new information from park staff. You can find the update here.
A black bear, possible aggravated by a barking dog that was off leash, inflicted minor injuries on a couple that was enjoying a picnic near the Folk Art Center along the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Parkway officials, who instituted several closures along the ridgeline park in a bid to prevent additional attacks, were trying to track the black bear. If caught, it would be euthanized, a park release said.
The attack happened Wednesday evening. According to the release, the unidentified couple was alerted to the bear's presence by their dog, which ran towards the animal while barking.
"Likely aggravated by the dog, the bear acted defensively toward the dog and the couple," the release said. "Over the next several minutes, there were repeated attacks by the bear while the couple retreated with their dog to the safety of their vehicle.
The couple, whose injuries were not detailed, then drove to an area hospital where they were treated and released.
Area closures that were instituted following the incident included:
- The Mountains to the Sea Trail from the intersection with the parkway visitor center Loop Trail near milepost 384 to Riceville Road Bridge at milepost 382.
- The Folk Art Center Nature Loop Trail and all trails accessed off of Bull Mountain Road.
- Picnicking was also prohibited between the Asheville Visitor Center and adjacent parking areas near parkway milepost 384 to the Haw Creek Overlook near milepost 380.
Park staff was working with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission staff to capture the bear, and was conducting foot patrols in the immediate area of the attack.
"If the offending bear is captured and positively identified, officials will humanly euthanize the animal per park and NCWRC protocol," the release said.
Park staff reminds visitors that fall on the Blue Ridge Parkway is a key feeding period for bears, as they try to add calories before winter hibernation. Visitors need to practice proper food storage, keeping pets leashed, and viewing wildlife from a distance, the park release said.
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Comments
The Folk Art Center is within the city limits of Asheville. It's right around here (the blue blob represents the city limits). There are various mapping tools that show the city's boundaries, and this is right near the edge of the city limits but still within it.
https://data-avl.opendata.arcgis.com/datasets/9fdb214ab6544f65b7493eeb52...
However, that this was within any city limits wasn't my point. This is not some remote location in the boonies like some people seem to think it is. It's an urban-wildlands interface where there's only a small strip of land under NPS jurisdiction, with mixed residential, industrial, and retail for miles and miles. I wouldn't necessarily say that the NPS has arbitrary rules regarding dogs being off-leash and food storage, but this was clearly in a populated area next to a nursing home, apartments, and the VA hospital. It's also less than a mile from I-40.
Here's a fun article on Asheville's boundaries. The article include a map overlaying the municipal, postal, and school district boundaries.
I consider myself an expert on bears albeit primarily grizzly bears. It appears the couple broke at least two maxims in bear territory, no loose dogs and a picnic. I hope the couple is fined for breaking the law and letting their dog loose. And it doesn't take a huge leap of logic to deduce they tried to save their picnic and took it with them. The proof,... the bear would have broke off the attack immediately to investigate the food, not continued to attack them.
True justice would have us give the bear a second chance. Please do not kill the bear.
One rule the NPS has about bears in many areas is that one should never allow a bear to actually score food, because then it just reinforces that approaching humans to find food is acceptable. It's not always the rule, but it's one that I've had drilled into me several times.
I have never heard anything about never having a picnic where there are bears. I did hear to never leave food unattended (preferably keep all food within an arm's length) and properly store food. I mean - I've eaten outdoors at Yosemite, Tahoe, SEKI, Crater Lake, Mt Rainier, Yellowstone, Grand Teton, etc. and have never heard anyone tell me that I shouldn't picnic. I mean - all these places have picnic areas. Here's a Google Street View image of the parking lot, and there's a picnic table.
https://goo.gl/maps/FphXmvLCazXRSbeG6
The Bear is not the problem, people are. Bear was minding its own business and some irresponsible, rule breaking degenerates allowed their dog off the leash. The dog followed its instincts and isn't at fault neither. It is not a problem bear, only defended itself, and should be left alone not murdered.
That couple did not have their dog on the leash, not fair to put the bear down . People need to respect the outdoors and the rules that are in place for a reason. Especially for the people that love the outdoors. People that don’t respect the rules can ruin it for everyone .
I am going to assume that any rational park ranger doing their job would only move the bear. It would be a ridiculous and pompous use of power to do otherwise. As a dog owner I am always concerned about losing the right to travel with him. We need to follow the rules to keep this privilege open. That being said, let's move on and use this as an educational reminder.
This Bear should not be put down, the people should be fined. Just relocate the bear to inhibited area.
The bear came into the parking lot of an art center to attack them. He's done if they find him. It would be nice to see an overhead view of the park and art center to understand just what happened here
It's not the call of the National Park Service, and even then NPS would probably consider putting it down if it kept on coming after people who retreated into a car. I've said it before, but this happened in a populated area near a couple of large apartment complexes, a nursing home, the VA hospital, and numerous retail businesses like a McDonald's. The bear is not going to respect lines on a map and stay within NPS jurisdiction. It's obviously going to go into Asheville and the surrounding suburbs.
Google Street View is very limited, but I saw the parking lot was somewhat flat and in fact had a picnic table, although the image said it was from 2017, so things could have changed. I'd think this wouldn't be the most ideal place for a bear to seek food. This should provide a decent overview of what's in the surrounding area. This is a suburb that just happens to have the Blue Ridge Parkway running through it. I know there have been a bunch of comments that these were visitors "in the bear's home" but a few hundred feet away the bear would be in a human being's home. Or the church less than a mile away. Or the elementary school. Or the nursing home next door. Would anyone really be OK if this bear attacked a resident of the nursing home?
https://goo.gl/maps/85RCRRGd5X2Dhe4a8
Do not reward the inappropriate behavior of these people and their dog.
They may in fact be fined or restricted from returning to the Blue Ridge Parkway for some time, although I'm not sure how they would ever be prevented from driving through a public road. However, this was right in the middle a wooded suburban area. The boldness of the bear probably had more to do with it being comfortable around people after going through dumpsters looking for food.
Now you may not have specifically said anything about this being "the bear's home", but I don't see how it's safe for the thousands of people living in the area for there to be a bear willing to go at people who have retreated into a car. So the NC Wildlife Resource Commission just takes the chance that it might go after a kid eating lunch outdoors at school or someone taking a walk outside the nursing home next door? Has everyone just lost their senses romanticizing wildlife and lost respect for the potential for a catastrophic outcome in (I repeat) a highly populated area? While black bears are normally timid, an adult easily has the potential to kill a human being if it were so inclined.
These are all within a mile from the museum parking lot where this happened.
Veterans Administration Ashville Medical Center: https://www.va.gov/asheville-health-care/
Skilled nursing home next door: https://www.laurelsofsummitridge.com
Large apartment complex across the street: https://www.apartments.com/evergreen-ridge-apartments-asheville-nc/n4lwp6n/
Assisted living center: https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Business-Service/Chase-Samaritan...
Another large apartment complex: https://www.parkwaycrossing-apts.com
Grassy Branch Baptist Church: https://www.grassybranch.org
Charles C. Bell Elementary School: https://ccbes.buncombeschools.org
McDonald's: https://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en-us/location/nc/asheville/1103-tunnel-rd/...
Dollar Tree: https://www.dollartree.com/locations/nc/asheville/7758/
This makes me so angry. People refuse to follow rules and animals suffer. The bear should not be Euthanized. The couple should be fined for having an unrestrained dog. The bear was only defending itself and its territory. If it had been aggressive it could have killed them without a problem, but it did not! If we are not responsible and held accountable for our actions, as smart as we supposedly are, how can we hold animals accountable for theirs?
Blue Ridge Parkway news release on bear attack and decision to euthanze the bear;
“This attack was unusual in that the bear was uncharacteristically aggressive and continued to attack the couple’s vehicle after they were all inside it and the threat (the couple and the dog) was effectively removed. This is not typical or characteristic defensive bear behavior and indicates a more predatory response. This presents an intolerable risk in a high use, public space.”
Link
https://m.facebook.com/BlueRidgeNPS/posts/233628668806778
Exactly what do you mean by "its territory"? The American black bear is not territorial. They all have home ranges where they overlap with other bears. If it wanders into the elementary school a mile away, are the kids eating lunch outdoors in its territory?
It was aggressive. A defensive attack will involve a bear lashing out quickly and then running away. Sticking around shows the possibility of predatory behavior.
Who.decided to kill the bear? There's no reason to put it down unless it's repeatedly being aggressive! Save that bear!!! We need to stop destroying wildlife!!!
That was the call of the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. This is a populated suburban area where the bear is not likely to respect boundary lines on a map. However, if this was a National Park Service or US Forest Service call, I'd imagine that a bear that continued to show aggression after someone retreated into a car would also suffer the same fate.
I certainly don't like the idea of killing wildlife, but protection of an individual animal is not generally what wildlife protection is about. North Carolina has a legal bear hunting season, and I have no problem with it.
https://www.ncwildlife.org/Portals/0/Hunting/Documents/Bear/2020-21-Big-...
The bear has no fear of humans. It will attack again. It needs to be shot before it chews up a small child. One bad bear killed is not going to wipe out the entire bear population. It's a bad bear..KILL IT BEFORE IT KILLS SOMEONE. It's just dumb to say because their dog was off the leash is why the bear attacked. Leash or no leash it attacked. Shoot it dead.
Nope. While I don't discount the possibility of the couple being fined, I see all these overwrought reactions to the possibility that a bear might be killed. The determination is in the hands of North Carolina authorities who have to worry about far more than the Blue Ridge Parkway, but whether or not this bear could continue to show aggression in the surrounding neighborhoods where the "rules" that apply on NPS land aren't in effect. The determination to put down the bear when it's found is not about NPS rules being followed. It's about the potential for this bear to to severely injure (or possibly kill) someone, including the seniors in several nursing homes or children playing at school or in a park. And when they find this bear, it's far more likely that they'll find it on private land, because there's a lot more of it than public land.
Bann the couple for life. Leave the bear and the dog alone.
People who have intentionally fed bears haven't been banned for life by the National Park Service.
I'd point out that the Blue Ridge Parkway information on bear safety doesn't even mention dogs at all. This has never really entered the equation.
https://www.nps.gov/blri/planyourvisit/bear-safety.htm
They even have a description of hunting dogs that must be left alone. Hunting isn't allowed on NPS land, but they allow hunting in nearby areas (private land + Forest Service) and they allow hunting dogs to wander onto NPS property. And after the law regarding firearms on NPS lands was changed, hunters can carry their firearms on NPS land consistent with state law.
Why is the bear guilty?
The bear was scared.
It's heartbreaking to think the bear will be killed for being a bear!!!
You're anthropomorphizing the bear. It's neither guilty nor innocent. A scared American black bear almost always runs away when it senses the opportunity to do so. They don't seek revenge. The behavior that this bear performed may even have been a result of conditioning as a result of previous interactions with dogs or bears. However, various wildlife authorities have to consider whether or not it is DANGEROUS and then make a call as to what's reasonable considering the public safety aspect.
Again - it is an American black bear. The kind of behavior where it would come back to confront people rather than cut and run is not a bear being a bear. That's signs of predatory behavior.
QUOTE: "Fall is one of the busiest times on the parkway for humans as millions travel the scenic byway that passes directly through Asheville to view the fall foliage. The parkway is the most visited unit of the National Park Service, with 14.1 million visitors in 2020." Comment: If I'm not mistaken, this is a highly publicized tourist destination; the NPS has roadside advertising for PICNIC areas along the stretch of parkway in addition to rest stops and hiking trails, then signs that say: "Practice Proper Food Storage" Why are PICNIC tables advertised along the parkway if the government is warning us to practice "Proper Food Storage" during a picnic. Is that possible when a bear's sense of smell is supposed to be 10 times that of a blood hound? Entrapment? I'm so tired of the Gov't putting the blame for bear maulings on humans. Okay. So take away the picnic areas and be done. Post signs along the parkway, "NO STOPPING! STAY IN YOUR CAR. DO NOT TAKE PHOTOS OF THE LOVELY SCENERY. DO NOT USE PUBLIC REST ROOMS ALONG THE PARKWAY, YOU COULD BE MAULED BY A BEAR!" The NPS needs to reread their stringent park rules while enticing the public if we are in so much danger from bears. Ahem, they are our National Parks to use and enjoy not the government's. There is something called thinning the herd and bear population has reached the point.
It's a little bit more complicated than that. Proper food storage is supposed to be more about not rewarding bears when they manage to be successful. Being successful at scoring a meal tends to reinforce the behavior. Where there are large populations of bears near large populations of humans, there may be specific recommendations or requirements for handling garbage pickup, although they rarely approach NPS or Forest Service levels.
That being said, as you noted this is not a typical National Park Service area. It's Asheville. Even if one can employ and enforce rules, that's not going to take care of the majority of the land area where NPS rules don't apply. The bear certainly wouldn't be aware of whether or not it's on NPS or Forest Service land. As far as thinning the herd goes, there is a legal hunt of bears in North Carolina. I've been to other NPS areas where there are bears. At Olympic National Park, I asked about food storage with bears, and a park ranger specifically said that they might have about 6-10 bears in the area but they would absolutely avoid humans because there was legal hunting. Their worries about food storage were more about squirrels and birds.
Here's an interesting article (from an Irish publication no less) from today that specifically addresses bears in an urban envirnment, such as these around Asheville. While previously many believed that being around people might be detrimental to their development, these bears grow up faster and even start having cubs at a younger age. The author does get a few details wrong (like reference to the "US Fire Service" when it's obvious he means the US Forest Service, but it's otherwise a very well researched article.
• “Where there are large populations of bears near large populations of humans, there may be specific recommendations or requirements for handling garbage pickup, although they rarely approach NPS or Forest Service levels.”
•
• I should like to bring your attention to the fact re we live in a suburban neighborhood of 200 homes on the edge of the Ocala National Forest in Central Florida. A lot of people live here and go through what I’m about to tell you: At this time we have no less than 3-4 black bear sightings Per Day in our neighborhood. One bear who is a regular appears to be a pubiscent female while the rest range from small cubs to their mature mother. Today, the regular visiting bear that had been in our garage a week ago, whom I caught red-handed eating all the Klondike bars out of my fridge-freezer, was in my driveway, back yard and next door today; wandering, scampering all about the neighborhood, and was seen on neighbor’s porch last week sitting in a adirondack chair enjoying life here to the fullest; many similar stories every week. We have been in contact with Florida Wildlife Comm., Florida Forest Service and are told repeatedly about proper garbage storage: keeping garbage cans garaged. We have done all they’ve suggested and now have to keep our garage closed during daylight hours because the bears are going into garages. Also we cannot grow a garden for our own food consumption. We have a pineapple stand of 20+ pineapples yearly and the bear gets a good share. We are feeling like it’s all about the bears; we are being forced to give in to bears by giving up all of our outdoor yard time for them. We have no idea what time garbage pick-up is (2 days wkly) and are supposed to leave our cans out by the road unsecured, in a designated arrangement so the truck’s mechanical arm can easily lift the cans without a driver exiting the truck. Many times during a day neighborhood garbage is scattered all over the streets and yards. Are we supposed to sit out by our garbage cans (((ALL DAY)) waiting for garbage pick-up guarding the cans?? I would add we have ordered a bear-proof garbage can from the county for $40….months ago. We can buy the cans on open market for approx.. $200.. I would also add that the bear-proof cans are not. They operate on gravity as when inverted the hidden latch drops and the lid opens; garbage trucks with auto-arm picks up can, inverts same to dump contents and lids opens. Ha, when the bear turns over the bear proof can or gets it upside down he now knows how to open it. The latch drops and if he turns the can over on it’s side…..it’s opens! 50 pts for bear- 0 for human.
If anyone has a story how this scenario works in an HOA subdivision or otherwise near the forests, please let us know and keep thd subject going.
•
Open season for bear hunting in Florida was in effect a short time a few years back and NPS/FWC/Fla.Forest Serv., needs to get it going again
It hasn't gotten to the point where I see black bears back in my yard. I heard they were pretty common about 120 years ago. I mean - we have places like Bear Creek Road and Grizzly Peak Blvd, which were named when there were bears here. We are hearing more reports of bears on the outer fringes of the San Francisco Bay Area such as the northern edges of Marin, Sonoma, and Napa Counties. Point Reyes National Seashore has occasional bear sightings, although it's not exactly prime bear habitat.
I'm quite familiar with Lake Tahoe, which supposedly has some of the densest black bear populations in the country, and where a bear walking into a supermarket happens from time to time. The Bear League has recommendations for how to keep bears out. I heard one was to use Pine Sol in garbage.
http://www.savebears.org/info/buggedBothersomeBear2.html
Their biggest problem there is dealing with various jurisdictions. I think there are maybe 5 counties, two states, different agencies, and the big behemoth being the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit of the US Forest Service, where parts of several national forests converge on Lake Tahoe. I read about garbage collection rules in Incline Village, Nevada, where they request that garbage isn't left out until just about time for collection. They allow for the use of bear resistant cans, although I think some are just screw top cans that have to be manually screwed off. I've heard of cans in the style that are used by mechanical lifters, with with a locking mechanism that has to be undone first. Possibly the toughest would be just ordinary trash cans in a bear-proof enclosure similar to NPS style trash receptacles and campground bear boxes. It's really more like a tall bear box that can accept one or more trash cans. There are several companies that sell these, such as Bear Saver, Bearguard, Bearicuda, TuffBoxx, and Tahoe Bear Box Company.
https://bearsaver.com/collections/bear-resistant-cart-garage
https://www.bearguardinfo.com
https://www.bearicuda.com/enclosures/garbage_can_storage.php
https://tuffboxx.com
https://bearbox.org/residential/
El Dorado County, California requires the use of an approved outdoor trash enclosure in certain areas near Lake Tahoe. They have a list of approve enclosure manufacturers.
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