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| | Monday, September 17, 2018
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Smokies bear euthanized At approximately 9:45 am on Sunday, officials of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park fatally shot the adult male bear which was associated with the investigation into the death last week of a ginseng hunter near Cades Cove. Searchers in the Park found the body of William Lee Hill, Jr., 30, of Louisville, on September 11, after being notified two days earlier that Hill and a companion went to the Park to look for ginseng, and the two became separated. After the body of the victim was recovered, rangers reported evidence of wildlife scavenging of the remains and an adult male bear remained in the area, showing aggressive behaviors. Wildlife biologists responded to the area, trapped the bear, and recovered human DNA from it. The bear then was outfitted with a GPS collar and released while the investigation into Hill's death continued. “While the cause of Mr. Hill’s death is unknown at this time, after gathering initial evidence, consulting with other wildlife professionals and careful consideration, we made the difficult decision to euthanize this bear out of concern for the safety of park visitors and local residents,” said Superintendent Cassius Cash. “This is always one of the hardest decisions a wildlife manager has to make, and is one that we did not take lightly. Over 2 million visitors come to the Cades Cove area annually and there are several residential areas very close to where we found Mr. Hill’s body. We could not take the risk of allowing this bear to approach or show aggression towards other people.” Rangers were unable to again locate the bear until Sunday morning, when it was euthanized. The incident remains under investigation, and the Park has not released additional details.
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