10 recent bear encounters and escapes that made headlines

Bears are sparking surprise and action in headlines from coast to coast. This list of stories outlines harrowing close-calls and daring escapes, from a tourist injured after shocking two grizzlies in Grand Teton to a hungry bear rifling through a Tennessee family's kitchen.

Take a look at the stories.

The summary above was drafted with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists in our News division. All stories below were reported, written and edited by McClatchy journalists.

One of the two bears seen in the video is receiving care at a rehab center in North Carolina. Appalachian Wildlife Refuge

NO. 1: BEAR CUB YANKED FROM NC TREE FOR PHOTOS IS NOW ‘THRIVING.’ WHAT’S NEXT FOR HER?

The baby bear was found “wet and shivering” after the moments caught on video, officials said. | Published May 2, 2024 | Read Full Story by Simone Jasper

A tourist was seriously injured after he surprised two grizzlies on a hiking trail in Grand Teton National Park. Photo by Zdeněk Macháček via Unsplash

NO. 2: TOURIST SURPRISES GRIZZLY BEARS AND IS SERIOUSLY INJURED IN GRAND TETON, RANGERS SAY

One of the bears made contact with him and left him badly injured, officials said. | Published May 21, 2024 | Read Full Story by Brooke Baitinger

Two young black bears, rescued after their mom’s death, return to the wild in a California video. Photo from San Diego Humane Society

NO. 3: YOUNG BEARS SAVED AFTER MOM’S DEATH RETURN TO WILD, CALIFORNIA VIDEO SHOWS

The black bear brothers were raised by the San Diego Humane Society until they were old enough to survive on their own. | Published May 23, 2024 | Read Full Story by Don Sweeney

A young bear being relocated escaped its carrier and dashed through a neighborhood until game officers killed it, Arizona officials say. Photo by Marc Olivier Jodoin via Unsplash

NO. 4: BEAR DASHES THROUGH NEIGHBORHOOD AFTER ESCAPING CARRIER, ARIZONA OFFICIALS SAY

The young bear, on its way to be released, was killed, officials say. | Published May 29, 2024 | Read Full Story by Don Sweeney

File photo of a grizzly bear. Wildlife officials wrongly identified a grizzly as a black bear in the Idaho Panhandle region. A hunter then killed it, officials said. Jim Peaco National Park Service

NO. 5: HUNTER ASKS BEFORE KILLING ‘BLACK BEAR’ IN IDAHO. OFFICIALS SAY THEY MISIDENTIFIED IT

A concerned hunter sent videos of the animal to wildlife staff days before killing it, officials said. | Published June 20, 2024 | Read Full Story by Helena Wegner

A patron at a Tennessee adventure park recorded a video of a bear rummaging around a concessions stand then chasing after an employee who came face-to-face with the animal. Screengrab from Zachary Recchia's video via AccuWeather

NO. 6: BEAR KILLED AFTER WANDERING INTO CONCESSION STAND AND CHARGING AT WORKER, OFFICIALS SAY

The black bear had to be euthanized, Tennessee wildlife officers said. | Published June 25, 2024 | Read Full Story by Olivia Lloyd

A black bear helped itself to breakfast in a Tennessee cabin, according to a Facebook post. Screengrabs taken from video shared to Facebook by Kiley Pickett-Suits

NO. 7: ‘GET OUT!’ MOM TELLS HUNGRY BEAR EATING BREAKFAST IN TENNESSEE CABIN. SEE THE PHOTOS

The bear was found eating out of a jar of peanut butter. | Published October 21, 2024 | Read Full Story by Natalie Demaree

A homeowner shot and killed a bear (not the one pictured) after he found it destroying livestock, California officials say. Photo from National Park Service

NO. 8: HOMEOWNER WHO KILLED BEAR ON HIS PROPERTY WON’T BE CHARGED, CALIFORNIA OFFICIALS SAY

The bear visited the mountain property multiple times, officials say. | Published November 19, 2024 | Read Full Story by Daniella Segura

The cubs were seen closely trailing their mother at Hood Mountain Regional Park and Open Space Preserve, officials say. Screengrab from Sonoma County Regional Parks' Facebook video

NO. 9: BEAR CUBS CLOSELY TRAILING MOM ARE RECORDED ON VIDEO. IT’S HISTORY FOR CALIFORNIA PARK

Officials said they have been tracking bear activity at the park for nearly a decade. | Published February 20, 2025 | Read Full Story by Daniella Segura

A grizzly bear (not the one pictured) charged at an antler hunter in Montana, officials said. Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks

NO. 10: ANTLER HUNTER KILLS FEDERALLY PROTECTED BEAR CHARGING HIS WAY, MT OFFICIALS SAY

The bear was 13 years old and weighed about 250 pounds, wildlife officials said. | Published April 15, 2025 | Read Full Story by Helena Wegner

This report was produced with the help of AI tools, which summarized previous stories reported and written by McClatchy journalists. It was edited by journalists in our News division.