Bear wanders into Gatlinburg tea shop, jumps onto counter during anniversary visit

A bear walked into The Spice & Tea Exchange in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, rummaged through merchandise and jumped onto the counter during a couple’s anniversary visit, the couple said. Joshua Card recorded the encounter, and he and his partner, Victoria Puyol, said the episode lasted about 10 to 15 minutes.

Card said he first noticed the animal near the entrance and told Puyol, “There’s a bear.” Puyol said she did not immediately process what was happening until Card and a store clerk repeated themselves and she saw the animal standing in the doorway.

The clerk directed the couple behind the register where they had access to an emergency exit, the couple said. The bear moved farther into the store, tore into a sweet-tea blend and investigated tea diffusers as a crowd gathered outside. An employee at a neighboring business sounded an air horn, Card and Puyol said, but it had little apparent effect.

Card began recording as the bear approached the counter. He can be heard saying, “Hey, what you doing there, buddy?” before the animal jumped onto the counter and Card stepped back. Puyol said the animal seemed curious rather than aggressive and recalled, “He’s talking to this thing like it’s a puppy.” Card said he initially thought the bear might be a show animal but quickly realized it was wild. He told reporters his experience as a military veteran and former lifeguard shaped his response and that “this didn’t really feel like an emergency.”

Puyol estimated the encounter lasted about 10 to 15 minutes. The couple said store employees told them the bear had entered the business earlier in the week, and the shop posted a photo on social media with the caption, “This young bear came into our shop today, snagged some sugar and came back for more!” Fox News Digital reached out to The Spice & Tea Exchange of Gatlinburg for additional information, the outlet said.

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