Black Bears Killed in West Harrison, Tennessee Vehicle Crashes Amid Multiple Sightings

Two separate black bear incidents occurred recently in the United States, one in West Harrison, New York, and the other in Gallatin, Tennessee. In West Harrison, after multiple sightings of a black bear in a densely populated neighborhood, local police and environmental conservation officers attempted to manage the situation but lacked resources for non-lethal intervention, leading to the bear being humanely euthanized for public safety. In Gallatin, a black bear that had been roaming the area for a week was fatally struck by a vehicle on a state highway. The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) monitored the bear from the start, noting that it was a yearling weighing 190 pounds. TWRA officials highlighted that relocation is rarely a successful solution for bears, citing research that 90% of relocated bears die, often trying to return to their original territory, with a significant risk of vehicle collisions post-relocation. Both incidents reflect the challenges wildlife and local authorities face in managing bear encounters in suburban and rural areas.