The family of Glenda Ann Bradley, who was killed by a bear in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, has filed a $3.5 million claim against the U.S. Department of Interior claiming negligence on the part of the park.

Bradley was killed last year in the only recorded bear attack in the park’s history. Sidney Gilreath, attorney for the family, said investigations show the Park Service had notice that the bear and yearling which attacked Bradley could be dangerous.

While park officials acknowledged at least one report of aggressive bears before the attack, they said they did not receive the information until after the attack. Gilreath claims eight to ten park visitors filed reports about the bears as early as two weeks before the attack.

Bradley was on a day trip with Ralph Hill, her former husband, near Elkmont on the Tennessee side of the park last May when she was attacked by the sow and yearling. According to Associated Press reports, Bradley was hiking alone while Hill was fishing nearby. Bradley spotted the bears and stopped to photograph them when the sow attacked. Bradley ran and the bear caught and killed her.

There are believed to be about 1,800 black bears in the GSMNP. With more and more visitors to the park, human-bear encounters are likely to become more common. The park has changed warning signs in the backcountry and implemented additional black bear training for park staff.

On the average, two bears are euthanized in the park each year because of aggressive behavior. Nineteen incidents regarding nuisance bears were reported last year. Wildlife biologists recently killed a bear that was breaking into autos and tents at a campground in Pisgah Forest near the Blue Ridge Parkway.

The Department of Interior has six months to respond to the claim from Bradley’s family. The Department can choose to accept, reject, or negotiate the claim. A rejection would send the case to federal court.

 

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The Smoky Mountain News