TWRA: 60 bears euthanized in Sevier County due to human conflicts in 2026

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — Nearly all of the bears that the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency has had to euthanize because of human-bear conflicts have been located in Sevier County, the agency told WKRN’s sister station 6 News.

According to the TWRA, there have been 61 bears have had to be humanely killed this year because of human bear conflicts. Sixty of those bears were located in Sevier County. The only bear that has had to be euthanized outside of Sevier County was in Blount County.

A majority of human-bear conflicts occur between May and August, the TWRA said. However, this year, there have been more than double the number of bears humanely killed by the TWRA compared to last year. During 2025, the TWRA said it had to kill 23 bears total.

It isn’t clear if there has been a single source responsible for why more bears have been killed this year. However, the primary cause of human-bear conflicts is bears becoming habituated to human food and trash. Once bears that routinely feed on garbage, birdseed, human food, and pet food lose their fear of humans, they start exhibiting bold behaviors and the process cannot be reversed, according to the TWRA’s website. Some of those bold behaviors include damaging property, breaking into vehicles, and in some cases injuring people.

The TWRA’s decision to euthanize a specific bear is based on its behavior and the food source it has been feeding on. TWRA hopes that removing specific animals that become a public safety risk, providing education, and securing the things that attract bears to humans, the TWRA and public work together to keep other bears wild and safe.

Unfortunately, the TWRA says that by the time a bear starts exhibiting dangerous behaviors, there is not a way to change that behavior. Relocating the bear does not change the behavior, and the behavior continuing can result in people illegally killing bears, poisoning them, other negative outcomes, the TWRA explained.There is not a statewide ban on feeding bears, however, the Tennessee General Assembly passed a law earlier this year to criminalize feeding bears in areas where notices have been placed stating that it is unlawful to feed black bears. It is illegal to feed bears in the City of Gatlinburg and in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

To learn how you can help keep bears safe and be BearWise, click here.