GATLINBURG, Tenn. – Wildlife officers say a Virginia woman has been charged after they say she fed a black bear while on vacation in Tennessee.
The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Association said Friday that a video posted on social media shows 21-year-old Kristin Hailee Farris hand-feeding what appeared to be watermelon, chocolate and other items to a black bear in Gatlinburg, Tennessee on Sept. 30.
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When the video was first released, wildlife officers quickly issued warnings that feeding bears is dangerous and could result in serious injuries.
According to news reports, officers say Farris faces a Class B misdemeanor, which can result up to six months in jail and a $500 fine.
TWRA says regulations have been in place since 2000 that prohibit feeding bears or leaving food in garbage cans that could attract bears within a six mile radius of Gatlinburg.
“The overwhelming desire to have a close encounter with a black bear is strangely more powerful than common sense,” said Sevier County Wildlife Sgt. David Sexton in a statement. “Many people intentionally feed bears with little regard for the dire consequences to the bears and humans they leave behind.”