Gatlinburg police free black bear that locked itself inside hotel bathroom in wild viral video

Inja News می 11, 2026 2 minutes read

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A black bear in Tennessee decided to ditch the great outdoors in favor of indoor plumbing.

In a video that’s now going viral, officers with the Gatlinburg Police Department responded to a truly peak Smoky Mountains call this week after a black bear locked itself inside a bathroom at the Quality Inn & Suites in downtown Gatlinburg.

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A black bear standing in a natural environment

According to the police report obtained by OutKick, officers responded to the motel at approximately 2:33 a.m. Friday after an employee reported a bear inside the bathroom. Officer Quayvaughn McCollum wrote that an employee “observed a bear enter an exterior bathroom and lock itself inside.”

God forbid a guy wants a little privacy!

The footage shows officers carefully opening the bathroom door before the confused bear casually strolls out and heads down the sidewalk to freedom while officers and bystanders scatter out of the way. One officer beats sticks together while they both holler to deter the animal.

By the looks of it, though, the bear had no interest in the humans anyway.

Views of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee

Fortunately, the officers handled the situation perfectly, and nobody was injured during the ordeal. The whole thing ended with only some minor property damage.

The report notes that officers observed “a broken mirror shattered on the floor, which the bear had caused.” Damage was estimated at $50.

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As anyone familiar with East Tennessee knows, black bears wandering through Gatlinburg neighborhoods, parking lots and hotels is hardly unusual this time of year. But one locking itself in a hotel bathroom? That’s a new one.