A Tennessee man is recovering from a horrific bear mauling incident after the animal broke into his locked rental cabin and attacked him in the kitchen over the weekend.
Police said that the bear entered the victim’s cabin near downtown Gatlinburg, Tennessee near Great Smoky Mountains National Park late Saturday.
“The bear charged the man and swatted at him causing serious injuries to his face and the top of his head,” the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency said.
The man also suffered injuries to his back before he could flee to the bedroom and call the police.
Authorities caught the female bear of more than 200 pounds the following day and euthanized her.
“Black bears habituated to human or other unnatural foods sometimes enter homes, vehicles, or other human-inhabited areas in search of food,” the TWRA said.
“If there are bears in your area, please, please take down your bird feeders, put your trash away and never feed or approach a bear because people are paying for your actions down the road.”
