North Carolina National Parkway Partially Shutdown After Reports of Visitors Holding & Feeding Baby Bear

“In this instance we want to give the bear a chance to lose interest in the area before the situation escalates and visitors or the bear are harmed.” –Superintendent Tracy Swartout

An 8 mile portion of North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Parkway has been closed by after authorities received reports of visitors holding a bear cub and trying to hand feed it.

Multiple reports were made about the bad behavior at the Lane Pinnacle Overlook in the park, prompting the closure for the safety of both the bear and park visitors.

While may seem like commonsense not to attempt to pick up a wild bear and feed it, apparently some knuckleheads in North Carolina actually tried it. Do yourself and the wildlife that inhabit our parks across the nation a favor and observe them from a respectable distance.

Here’s the statement from Blue Ridge Parkway:

After multiple documented reports of visitors feeding and attempting to hold a young bear in recent weeks at the Lane Pinnacle Overlook, Blue Ridge Parkway officials are closing a portion of the scenic route from milepost 367.6 near the Craggy Gardens Picnic Area to milepost 375.6 at Ox Creek Road. This section will close Monday, October 30, until further notice. Park visitors can access Craggy Gardens recreational area via NC80 from the north; however, until the road reopens, the visitor center at milepost 364.5 will remain closed.

“We are closing this section of the road temporarily for the safety of both the bear and park visitors. When people intentionally attract bears with trash and food it can lead to very dangerous situations. In this instance we want to give the bear a chance to lose interest in the area before the situation escalates and visitors or the bear are harmed.” –Superintendent Tracy Swartout

Fall is a critical time of year for bears. Between September and November bears may forage for food up to 20 hours a day as they attempt to put on weight for the winter and hibernation. During this time bears actively seek out natural foods but will also take advantage of human foods when presented with the opportunity.

Park staff want to remind park visitors and neighbors to keep food out of sight and follow all bear safety tips available on the Parkway’s Bear Safety web page and at BearWise.org. If you encounter a bear while on the Parkway, call (828) 298-2491 or stop at the nearest Visitor Center to report the encounter.