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
Sorry, But you can not blame the bear for peoples stupidity.
Please don't kill that bear. He was doing what comes naturally to all of us. Protecting his home from invaders that were not following protocol. We have camped in many places where the bears are. Theyve never bothered us as we were not aggressive to them. We did not have food out in their domain. It was always put away where they couldn't smell it or get to it. Please don't kill the bear!
The circumstances surrounding that attack should clearly absolve this Bear incident. An off "leash dog" attacking a bear is a clear a present danger to any animal. It will provoke a defensive attack. Those people were playing with fire and got burnt. ignorance isn't a proper excuse to take a bears life. Espically in the bears own home.
Do not euthanize any bear. We are in their territory. Leave wildlife alone!
Shame on that couple for allowing their dog to run free. Now they have endangered a bear's life because of their selfishness. If you are going into nature learn the rules and obey them.
Don't euthanize that bear. The couple's dog should have been
on a leash. The bear was defending itself. The couple should be fined.
If the bear is to be euthanized according to park protocol, then the couple should be cited according to park protocol. That simple.
Fine them! if you are on the one of the islands on the coast and you get involved with one of the horses you get fined. Leave The bear alone.
So very sad for the bear! People are irresponsible and can't follow rules but the bear gets put down if found. That's not humane.
Are the humans going to get fined or punished in anyway for having their dog unleashed? I'm pretty sure in the GSMNP that up to $5000 fine! Poor bear doesn't deserve to die.
Since the couple didn’t follow protocol they should be steeply fined and banned. The bear was doing what bears do and should not be punished for the stupidity of the humans.
Agree with many of the comments; bear should not be euthanized. Tracked perhaps, to see if experience leads to a nuisance bear. Fault lies with couple who can’t seem to understand basic safety and outdoor rules
Please don't kill the bear...they were at his home he was protecting his home....now if the bear came to their home...then that would be a different story...just saying
The American black bear is not territorial. It's not protecting any home per se. This one may have been food conditioned and this showing unusual behavior for an American black bear.
It's not the bears fault that the couple was negligent. Their dog provoked the bear. How do you plan on POSITIVELY identifying the bear? That's B.S. !!! Euthanized the couple and leave the bear alone.
My question is why when something like this happens, why not capture the bear and put it in a natural habit somewhere. That way the bear lives and people can safely enjoy seeing them.
Run bear run!
When are the people going to be held accountabile for their stupidity. The bear did nothing wrong. Jail the stupid people and give the dog to someone who will properly take care of it.
Not the bears fault. At all. That is his home. Why should he be killed bcs of people not following the rules. The people. Should actally be charged with animal cruelty.
The couple should be banned from all national parks. They clearly broke the rules.
If no further attacks by the bear , I hope it will be allowed to live . Just post more warnings about all bears behavior this time of year. Have post especially at the entrance of the park !
Shoot the dog! ?He started it, let the bears eat. Eat away from their access.
Are you kidding me? Euthanize the bear? Don't you even try it. And how do you know it is the same bear? And why are you euthanizing it? Its instinct was to do what it did. People make me sick. The people that want to euthanize the bear should all be fired and go get a life.
Do NOT eithanize the bear for acting on instinct when approached by a potential threat! If man goes into a bear's habitat, man's law should not rule. SAVE THE BEAR!
It's not right to put the bear down for defending his life I'm a dog owner myself I take him with me all the time in the woods the difference between me and that couple he's on a leash at all times next too me that Bear would have went it own way if left alone and not provoked this is the humans fault NOT THE BEARS
Doesn't work. Especially not in a place like North Caroline where they'll just find their way back or be "someone else's problem". There are really no remote places. In fact this attack was within the city limits of Asheville near the parking lot of a museum.
These people should be banned from ever going there again. They didn’t abide by the rules. The dog should not have been running loose of the leash. How are they going to know it’s the right bear? I think since the bear got away. It should be left along. The bear was probably afraid of the barking dog!!!
Please leave the bear alone!
Why punish the bear for trying to protect itself, the dog provoked it, not the other way. Really hope they don't find that bear
Please allow the bear to live. It sounds like the bear was in defense mode because of the unleashed dog.
Imagine that somebody else causing problems and somebody else has to take the blame for it pretty typical these days maybe the couples should be fined $20,000
Bear must go. It has lost it's fear of humans. Agreed, the couple brought it on themselves. They should pay a hefty fine.
How unresponsible of pet owners to not keep their dogs on a leash. That was not a dog park. Tired of stupid people . Not right to euthanize the Bear. We are in their territory and respect must be for the wildlife. Fine people and euthanize that dog!!!
The bear was defeding himself. Please do not euthanize it. The couple made the mistakes and broke the park rules. Why would you kill an animal for that reason?
It's not the bears fault. It is the dog owners. I hope they are going to be fined for disregarding the rules. Some people don't think rules apply to them. The bear should not be punished for defending itself.
Why not make it mandatory no animals in park areas
Oh no, no, no! The bear was defending it's territory from an unleashed dog! The couple did wrong and the bear pays with its life? That's jacked up! I vacationed in the Smokies for years and guess what? Bears live there.
Born and raised in the mountains, I camped and hiked my whole life. Never was attacked by a bear and crossed paths with many. This bear smelled food then was attacked. Perhaps the intelligent action would be to restrict human activities during this time. Bear wasn't the stupid party here.
I hate to say it but I’ve been expecting a mauling to occur in Asheville. Killing one bear that attacked humans is not going to effect the bear population. In fact, overpopulation was probably a contributing factor to this bear’s behavior.
Asheville and the surrounding areas have gotten over populated with bears. The bear population has tripled over the last two decades. Asheville bears eat so well, it’s not unusual to see a fat sow bear walking around a neighborhood raiding trash cans in broad daylight with four or five second year cubs almost as big as her in tow. Black bear populations will inevitably explode when there’s that rate of cub survival.
The city is crawling with bears. It’s a testament to the black bear’s nature that more maulings haven’t occurred.
Asheville, NC needs to smarten up and start enacting and enforcing no feeding bears and bear proofing your property ordinances like Gatlinburg, TN.
You don’t have to feed bears to get mauled by a bear. You just have to be near where someone else is feeding bears.
The bear was in his habitat, the bear should not be killed!!!
Few commenting here seem to have an idea where this actually happened. I noted that it was within the city limits of Asheville at the Southern Highland Craft Guild's Folk Art Center. This wasn't some remote location out in the middle of nowhere. It's less than a half mile away from several apartment complexes, the Asheville Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Dollar Tree, McDonald's, Starbuck's, AutoZone, Sonic Drive-In, etc.
https://goo.gl/maps/mqUyYf7toaya4aFn7
This is clearly where people live. It's kind of a unique situation where NPS has control over this small strip of road and some of the surrounding lands. This is closer to the situation when a bear is seen in Pasadena and not like a sighting in GSMNP. This bear could have done the same thing in the parking lot of the Biltmore Estate (just five miles away) or McDonald's and not be subject to any NPS regulations on off-leash dogs. I get that people are romanticizing this area as a "national park" but it's really just an NPS controlled road that bisects national forest and private lands.
That is NOT where it happened. It was out at the Folk Art Center that is out on the BRP. It in NOT in the city limits. That center is run by the same group you are talking about, but a different location!!!
Finally someone gets it. So many of the comments here sound like they come from people who think this was in the middle of a remote national park, when it's really in an urban-wildland interface surrounded by lots of housing and retail businesses. I'm frankly wondering why this bear would bother coming to this area looking for food when a dumpster in a restaurant would be a better place to score food.
There are of course quite a few places that have similar issues. Lake Tahoe. Colorado. Flagstaff. Santa Fe. Even Los Angeles County where several cities require bear-resistant trash cans.
This should say :unleashed dog attacks bear on blue ridge parkway"...
I am sorry, but we take our wildlife seriously..Why do these people feel like it's ok to break rules. ALL DOGS N PETS MUST B ON A LEASH. NO FEEDING THE BEARS N WILDLIFE. DO NOT HARASS THE WILDLIFE. The offending humans needs to b fined 500.00 $ because they chose to disobey the rules. This gets our bears euthanized because of human ignorance. They r 1 of the attractors to the park. PLEASE GIVE THEM THEIR SPACE!!!I!!!
The bear behaved naturally to a perceived threat . The dog also behaved naturally to a perceived threat. Let it be . As.for the people......." Lesson learned . "..........I hope
Again, nearly everyone is fixating on the "rules" that apply to NPS land and losing sight that this was in a populated area and not some idyllic woodlands. Just 100 feet away on private land, the rules would be different and the bear could have been engaged in the same behavior in the parking lot of a nursing home or apartment complex. The state would have come to the same conclusion that the bear was aggressive and should be put down.
Wow...so much animosity towards each other! And stupid comments made. Yes as humans keep flocking and development keeps happening we are taking away our wild lifes natural habitat. Bears are very predatory and when threatened they will attact especially if food is around. However the people picnicking you would think knew better but apparently didn't having their dog off the leash was stupidity on their part and this happened. I see people doing stupid things around these parts all the time. There can be cohabitation between wild life and humans. We humans are the ones that were given the ability to read, reason and be responsible. Not the bear.
I agree with everything y-p-w said. Most people don‘t understand the context and complex situation going on between bears and humans in the Asheville area.
If you want to see some bears, drive around Asheville after about 2AM. There’ll be bears all up in the dumpsters around town. There’s a lot more calories to be had in a human’s trash bin than there is in the big woods.
Well just great, we live in North Carolina. I'm going to be very honest, this happens way to much. People don't have there dogs on a leash and when a bear does what Mother Nature programmed to do. A bear pays the price with its life because of not so smart humans.
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