GATLINBURG, Tenn. — A man is recovering after he was attacked by a black bear that broke into his rental cabin in Tennessee.
The victim was renting a cabin in downtown Gatlinburg and went into the kitchen around 11 p.m. Sunday to find a black bear inside, officials with the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency told WVLT. The bear got into the house through a set of French doors that had been locked, but not deadbolted.
The man said the bear charged and swatted at him, causing serious injuries to his face and head, the Knoxville News Sentinel reported.
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The man was able to escape to a bedroom and lock himself inside, WVLT reported. While running to the bedroom, the bear scratched the man’s back.
From the bedroom, the victim called 911. His family drove him to a local hospital where he was treated and released, according to WVLT.
TWRA officials told the News Sentinel that it was able to trap and euthanize the bear, described as a 2- or 3-year-old without cubs, weighing a little over 200 pounds.