Shocking moment black bear comes face-to-face with employee at Tennessee park. Watch

A concessions stand worker at a Tennessee park narrowly escaped serious damage after suddenly coming face-to-face with a black bear. The shocking incident unfolded at Anakeesta, a mountaintop adventure park in Gatlinburg, last week. The bear approached the employee of the concessions stand, ironically named Bear Can, via an off-limits employee entrance.

Black bear comes dangerously close to park employee

At around 9:30 pm Thursday, the bear started exiting the stand when the employee was entering. The now-viral video shows the furry giant rustling through food behind the counter before facing the employee. Both parties were equally startled by one another as the bear lunged at her. However, the employee did not sustain any injuries during the brief physical contact. As the bear ran away, the employee quickly rushed inside and shut the door.

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Following the incident, the Tennessee park issued a statement that read, “At that point, the bear and employee made brief physical contact. The employee in the video was not seriously injured and opted not to receive medical attention.” The park added that it is “dedicated to giving people a unique outdoor adventure in the Smokies” and encourages “guests to enjoy the views of the bears, at a safe distance.”

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Austin Martin, a spokesperson for the park, explained in a statement that the workers at Anakeesta are no strangers to bears. The park is surrounded by the Great Smoky Mountains National Park on three sides. “Bears are a big part of the magic in the Great Smoky Mountains,” Martin said, adding, “The Anakeesta team works diligently to create a safe space to co-exist with the native wildlife,” per USA Today.