Sleeping man awakes to bear in kitchen, then kills it outside, TN officials say

A homeowner woke up to the sound of an intruder breaking in — then he found himself facing a wild animal in Tennessee.

The Sevierville man was sleeping at around 1:30 p.m. Aug. 10, when he heard a disturbance in his kitchen, according to a news release from the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency.

He went to investigate and found a black bear had broken into his home through a screen door, officials said.

The bear ran out of the home but wouldn’t leave the property, so the man got his shotgun and killed the animal, according to the agency. The bear was a yearling, so it was about 1 to 2 years old.

The homeowner said it wasn’t his first interaction with the bear. He reported to the TWRA that the bear previously broke into an outbuilding on his property. A wildlife officer “investigated and determined no violations had occurred.”

“This homeowner did not want to take this action but felt it was necessary to protect his safety,” officials said. “Under TWRA’s human-bear conflict matrix, a bear that enters a residence would be captured and humanely euthanized.”

Officials said the area has recently been experiencing more issues with bears, as unsecured trash cans have led to bears breaking into cars and homes, and even injuring people.

“Unfortunately, residents who take proper precautions may still be affected by bears habituated through others’ actions,” according to the TWRA.

Still, wildlife officers said it’s “unusual” for bears to enter someone’s home.

In June 2024, a black bear broke into a concessions stand at an amusement park in Gatlinburg, about 15 miles from Sevierville, then chased and jumped on a worker, McClatchy News reported at the time. The bear was euthanized.

Sevierville is about a 30-mile drive southeast from Knoxville, just north of Great Smoky Mountains National Park.