Two attacks in less than a year at Great Smoky Mountains National Park, one fatal, recast the image of the park's black bears from animals timid of humans to opportunistic predators even park visitors need to be cautious of when traveling the backcountry.
Autopsy results released Thursday pointed to "trauma caused by a bear" as the cause of Patrick Madura's death in September 2020. The 43-year-old Elgin, Illinois, man was on a multi-day backpack in the park that straddles the Tennessee-North Carolina border and had reserved backcountry campsite 82 for the night of September 8. Three days later, backpackers coming down the trail saw his unoccupied tent, spotted a black bear scavenging his remains, and reported it to rangers.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park Visitors Need To Be More Cautious Of Black Bears
Autopsy results released Thursday pointed to "trauma caused by a bear" as the cause of Patrick Madura's death in September 2020. The 43-year-old Elgin, Illinois, man was on a multi-day backpack in the park that straddles the Tennessee-North Carolina border and had reserved backcountry campsite 82 for the night of September 8. Three days later, backpackers coming down the trail saw his unoccupied tent, spotted a black bear scavenging his remains, and reported it to rangers.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park Visitors Need To Be More Cautious Of Black Bears