Black bear bites picture-snapping hiker in Smokies

USA Today ^ | 5/14/10 | AP-Unknown

[TennesseeGirl]

GATLINBURG, Tenn. (AP) — A man was bitten as he was trying to take a picture of a black bear in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, but the injury was minor and did not require medical attention.

The National Park Service said in a release the unidentified man suffered a small puncture wound on his foot after he was bitten on the Laurel Falls Trail on Wednesday.

Wildlife biologists captured a 60-pound female bear that visitors reported seeing near the trail. As a matter of park policy, bears that have contact or injure people are euthanized.

[TennesseeGirl]

Idiot! Hope that picture of a lifetime was worth that bear's life. Another source reported, "Park officials say the man was hiking on the Laurel Falls Trail. He allowed the bear to get within inches of him so he could take a picture of it."

[tuffydoodle]

Never take a camera to a bear fight.

[dfwgator]

“Not in my house!”

[Oldexpat]

Some people are dumb enough to become bear treats.
Dumb enought to be an Obama voter.

[highlander_UW]

As a matter of park policy, bears that have contact or injure people are euthanized.

I hope this clown is happy that his idiocy lead to the death of a bear.

[centurion316]

I was once woken up by a black bear licking my toes, but its generally not a good idea to let them get that close. Most black bears will leave you alone as long as you don’t do something stupid.

[batter]

was worth that bear's life.

Exactly. I worked in an area with bison, tourists always tried to creep up to them for that "great shot". No one ever got hurt (fortunately we were around to tell them to back off). Still, we should have had a stack of Darwin awards to hand out to them. This guy certainly deserves one.

This really sucks.

[Jack Hydrazine]

[savedbygrace]

Most black bears will leave you alone as long as you don’t do something stupid.

Of course, black bears have a different measure of stupid than most liberals do.

[Prospero]

And it’s a ass-hat policy. That Bear is probably somebody’s mother. It’s folks who can’t read the brown bear signage who need to be euthanized, as a matter of policy.

[dfwgator]

As a matter of park policy, bears that have contact or injure people are euthanized. I hope this clown is happy that his idiocy lead to the death of a bear.

A part of me wishes the bear would have finished the job.

[gundog]

Of course, black bears have a different measure of stupid than most liberals do.

And a 60 pound bear is a baby that doesn't know a smelly sneaker isn't food.

[tet68]

Any bear that gets that close to me better be bleeding
out, a dead bear walking.
I see them sometimes during deer season, I always give
them plenty of room and usually they don’t see me.
I don’t hunt bears and generally don’t see any reason
to kill one unless it attacks.

The guy was an idiot, that’s why they make telephoto lens.

[TennesseeGirl]

I was in Cades Cove and watched a man chasing bear CUBS to get that great photo. Mama bear must have been distracted elsewhere because the guy apparently came to no harm.

[PowderMonkey]

[rockvillem]

Amen - “dumb ass” was my first thought too. I’ve had one close encounter with a black bear while hiking, and it never crossed my mind to whip out my camera and try to get a great picture. I announced my presence and then headed back away from there. We both left each other alone, which from my understanding is how about 99.99% of black bear encounters end.

[Frank_2001]

“And a 60 pound bear is a baby that doesn’t know a smelly sneaker isn’t food.”

SAVE THAT BEAR!!!!

[rockrr]

As a matter of park policy, bears that have contact or injure people are euthanized.

Uhm, would this be a bad time to mention that I was once bitten by Øbozo? ;-)

[highlander_UW]

It’s folks who can’t read the brown bear signage who need to be euthanized, as a matter of policy.

Perhaps just sterilize them...we don't need these idiots breeding.

[HangnJudge]

I've seen dumber things in Yellowstone...