Bear encounters are less common in Knoxville than in Gatlinburg, but they’re certainly not impossible.
It’s not unheard of for bears to venture into Knoxville, and there have been a handful of sightings in the Scruffy City over recent years. In fact, they’ve become more common over the past decade, Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency spokesperson Matthew Cameron said in an email to Knox News.
The increased frequency is due to bear population growth and natural range expansion, he said. Additionally, Knoxville is situated in the Tennessee River Valley between two major mountain chains, meaning bears often pass through the city when traveling from one to the other.
Recent bear sightings in Knoxville, Tennessee
- In April 2023, a bear was spotted at several locations on the east side of town as well as in the Old City.
- A bear wandered into downtown Knoxville in December 2022 and was seen on Central Street and Hill Avenue.
- In 2020, a bear was spotted in the Fountain City area.
What part of Tennessee has bears?
Black bears in Tennessee live in two main regions, according to the TWRA page of TN.gov . The Appalachian Population can be found along the Tennessee-North Carolina border, and the Cumberland Population is located along the Tennessee-Kentucky border in the northern part of the Cumberland Plateau…