‘It could have killed us', Scots family have shock encounter with a BEAR on US road trip
CLOSE CALL 'It could have killed us', Scots family have shock encounter with a BEAR on US road trip
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A SCOTTISH family had a shocking close encounter with a bear while on a dream holiday in the US.
The Fergusons, from Airdrie in North Lanarkshire, were touring across parts of America when they had the run in with the furry beast.
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The family were in Tennessee's Great Smoky Mountains when they encountered the bear
Credit: Getty
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The black bear climbed into their car (Stock Image)
Credit: Alamy
They were staying in the Tennessee Great Smoky Mountains when they encountered the creature.
While they were packing up their car, a curious black bear climbed into the boot of the car.
Members of the family were sent scrambling, including some who were inside the motor when the clawed growler clambered in.
One member of the family is seen fleeing the motor as the beast made its appearance.
They were left panicking on the porch of their rental cabin as the bear rummaged through their car.
It was throwing their cases from the open boot of the 4x4 and even made its way to the front seats of the motor.
One of them turned on the vehicle's car alarm in an attempt to scare away the four-legged predator.
The repeated blasts of the horn seemed to do the trick as the bear wandered off.
Grace Sloan, 18, was with her boyfriend Logan Ferguson, 19, on his family's two week road trip through Tennessee, Nashville, Memphis, New Orleans, North Carolina, and Alabama.
She reckons the family are lucky to be alive after the encounter.
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She told how Logan's uncle Johnny fled the motor but his dad Paul was trapped inside and had to climb over the seats to escape.
Grace told The Daily Record: "We were all panicking not knowing what to do.
'If the bear had hurt anyone, I don't know what we would have done.
"I'm still shocked. It could have killed one of us and Paul and Johnny are lucky to be alive in that way.'
Black bears are quite common in the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee, with just under 2,000 bears expected to be living in the park.
Bear encounters are normally quite high during from May to August inside the picturesque national park.
The US National Park Service said: "Great Smoky Mountains National Park is one of the largest protected areas in the eastern United States where black bears can live in wild, natural surroundings.
Bears inhabit all elevations of the park. Though populations are variable, biologists estimate that roughly 1,900 bears live in the park.
"This equals a population density of approximately two bears per square mile."
They added: "Black bears in the Smokies are black in color, but in other parts of the country they may be brown or cinnamon.
"They may be six feet in length and up to three feet high at the shoulder.
"During the summer months, a typical adult male bear weighs approximately 250 pounds while adult females are generally smaller and weigh slightly over 100 pounds. However, bears may double their weight by the fall.
"Bears over 600 pounds have been documented in the park. Bears can live 12-15 years or more, however bears which have had access to human foods and garbage have a life expectancy of only half that time."
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