Bear crashes couples anniversary getaway, rummages through Tennessee tea shop before jumping on counter
A couple’s anniversary getaway took a wild turn when a bear strolled into a Gatlinburg tea shop and began rummaging through merchandise before suddenly jumping onto the counter in a startling encounter caught on video.The couple, Victoria Puyol and Joshua Card, were visiting Gatlinburg to celebrate their seventh anniversary when they stopped at The Spice & Tea Exchange on Friday, which is where Card spotted an unexpected visitor near the entrance.“There’s a bear,” Card recalled saying.At first, Puyol said she didn’t quite process what was happening, but when Card and the store clerk repeated themselves, she turned and saw the animal standing in the doorway.The couple recalled guidance to back away from bears, but as they stepped away, the bear ventured farther into the store.The clerk directed them behind the register, where they had access to an emergency exit.The curious intruder appeared particularly interested in the shop’s inventory, tearing into a sweet-tea blend and investigating tea diffusers as a crowd gathered outside.An employee from a neighboring store sounded an air horn, the couple said, but it appeared to have little effect on the bear.Card began recording as the bear approached the counter.“Hey, what you doing there, buddy?” Card can be heard saying in the video.The bear then turned and jumped onto the counter, prompting Card to step backward.“He’s talking to this thing like it’s a puppy,” Puyol recalled.
“It’s a bear.It’s not a puppy.
It’s a bear.”Card said he initially thought the animal might have been a “show bear” on a leash with a handler nearby because they were in such a populated area.He quickly realized it was a wild bear.Card, a military veteran who also has experience as a lifeguard, said his background dealing with emergency situations helped shape his reaction.
He described feeling uncertain about what the young animal was capable of and whether he should intervene or simply give it space.�...