By DEREK HODGES

Staff Writer

NATIONAL PARK — It looks likely the bear that attacked a hiker on the Laurel Falls trail last week will be euthanized soon, with Smokies officials bound by National Park Service bear management policies. Anger toward the man involved in the incident may be somewhat misplaced, officials say.

Park spokeswoman Nancy Gray explained Monday that Smokies biologists have no choice but to put down the bear, with worries similar to those that have led to laws requiring dogs that attack humans to be neutralized. The whole situation is a sad reminder of the adage among park staffers that, “A fed bear is a dead bear.”

“It leaves no option for us when a bear has injured an individual,” Gray said. “In our bear management program there are methods established for how we deal with bears in different situations and circumstances. In a situation where a bear has threatened or harmed an individual, we don’t have any choice. There is a risk in allowing the bear to remain in the wild because we don’t know if it’s going to attack someone again if it is moved to another part of the park.”

Park workers have captured the animal they believe is responsible for the attack and are working to confirm the identity.

Options are also limited; there aren’t many places that take wild bears that cannot be left free. Most bear rescue operations are only looking for non-aggressive bears that can be rehabilitated and returned to the wild. Many zoos won’t take wild bears, and there is already a surplus of captive-bred animals.

The fact that the animal is likely to be put to death has caused an uproar, with angry comments on The Mountain Press’ Web site.

A Facebook group has also been created titled “Save the black bear in the Smokies from dumb tourists.” That page had drawn nearly 1,300 fans determined to fight for the life of the 60-pound, 2-year-old female bear they have named “Laurel.” The group calls on its members to “wear out (the) answering machine” of park officials.

Gray said there is misunderstanding as to what the person did before the attack and pointed out every other person who has encountered the bear on the Laurel Falls Trail shares blame for what has happened.

“We had reports from two weeks ago or more of people who had been on the trail and saw people feeding this bear,” Gray said. “This bear was obviously a food-conditioned bear. She was used to being around people and there were witnesses out there the day of the incident who reported individuals feeding the bear and getting close to it.”

While the victim of the attack — who sustained only minor injuries — has been portrayed as an overly-aggressive tourist who got too close to take pictures, witness reports indicate that’s not the case.

“He had actually stepped off the trail and stepped back on when he noticed there was a bear on the trail,” Gray said. “He was not approaching the bear, but the bear actually approached him ,apparently expecting him to feed it like other people had done.”

When the man offered no food, the bear apparently snapped at his foot.

Many have called for charges to be filed against the man, citing laws that restrict folks from approaching wildlife in the park. However, Gray said there will likely not be charges because the man was not disturbing the animal.

“The law says you have to willfully and intentionally approach within 50 yards of a bear or an elk,” Gray said. “This man did not willfully or intentionally approach this bear.”

It certainly seems true, as the Facebook writer opined, that the victim was the only one who reported having been attacked by the bear.

“How do we cite this individual when we know there were a lot of people on that trail even that day who also approached the bear?” Gray asked rhetorically. “This was a situation that took a long time to develop. I think this person has learned the lesson just from the results of his actions.”

As for those who want to save the animal’s life, Gray thinks it’s likely too late. However, concerned citizens can have an active role in protecting other animals in the park by taking care not to create situations where bears lose their natural fear of humans and by teaching others to do the same.

dhodges@themountainpress.com