Man’s Drone Antics with Bear Leads to Controversy at Great Smoky Mountains National Park

In a recent incident at Great Smoky Mountains National Park, a man brazenly used a drone to harass a black bear out of a tree. This action violated not one, but two laws, as drones and other unmanned aircraft are prohibited inside the park. Additionally, as per the National Park Service (NPS) guidelines, “approaching any Wildlife within 50 yards or within any distance that disturbs or displaces wildlife is prohibited.”

Wildlife photographer Evan Watts was at the scene and captured the event. In his words,” not only was that guy operating a drone inside the park, he eventually chased the bear out of the tree with it!”

The footage was later shared on the Instagram account TouronsOfNationalParks, a platform highlighting reprehensible behavior in picturesque natural locations.