LOUDON COUNTY, Tenn. — There have been several reports of bears spotted in Loudon County, according to the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency.
The Loudon County Wildlife Officer said he has returned all the calls he has received and fortunately hasn’t had to trap or relocate any.
Lenoir City resident Frieda Posey caught one of the bears on her Ring camera.
She said the bear pulled down her bird feeder and ran away with it. She had never seen bear on her property before.
“We knew it was a big critter because we had it all protected from raccoons and squirrels. This one was big enough to take the whole feeder down," Posey said.
Posey called animal control and officials told her to leave it alone so it would move on.
TWRA said as long as the bears continue to move and don’t cause problems, wildlife officers leave them alone.
Wildlife officials want to remind you that the bear population is expanding and to do your part in reducing their access to unnatural foods to avoid habituating them. See BearWise.org to learn more about living responsibly with bears.