Nuisance black bear travels 1,000 miles to get home

A mischievous black bear was deemed so disruptive to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park—stealing backpacks from hikers and nabbing food from picnic tables—that she was rehomed at a nature reserve in eastern Tennessee. But the bear decided she liked her previous home and its amenities just fine, and she made that known by trekking 1,000 miles through four states over six months, back to the national park.

After Bear 609 was moved to the Cherokee National Forest, she started walking, crossing a busy interstate and back to her original campsite. In late July, she had wandered into Alpharetta, Georgia, and made TV news after being seen rummaging through trash at the Avalon shopping center.

Bystander Joakima Douglas filmed the bear trying to open several doors, without success. "You would have thought it was a dog waiting for its owner," she said. "Now I don't know what I'm going to see at the mall," she said.

Bear 609 was hit by a car at the shopping center, but seemed to be uninjured.

Researchers say they learned a lot from 609's movements. She ultimately traveled more than 1,000 miles—five times farther than the previous record-holder, who was tracked for about 200 miles in 2020. That means 609 took the scenic route home. The Cherokee National Forest is only 150 miles away from her original habitat in the Great Smoky Mountains.