When heading out for a weekend getaway or vacation, many of us pack snacks and drinks to avoid hunting for a grocery store. CBS News shared a TikTok of a family in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, who quickly learned the hard way that leaving food out in bear country isn’t the smartest idea. They all had to stand around and watch as a black bear and her cubs help themselves to the groceries in the back of the family’s truck.
The man stood just a few feet from the bear and her two cubs, but after a stern warning from mama bear, he quickly stepped back, just in time to watch her climb into the truck bed and snag the family’s bag of food. Turn your sound on to listen as a woman tries (and fails!) to scold the bear!
Talk about fast food! We bet that as soon as the bears took off, the family wisely hauled all the food into the home before the bears came back for round two!
Related: ‘Gang’ of Bears Steal a Trash Can From Connecticut Home Like They Own the Joint
Commenter Reactions to Mama Bear Stealing Food from the Back of the Truck
CBS News’ video quickly went viral, racking up more than 6 million views and more than 8,000 comments. And people had some funny things to say about the hungry bears. @ScottG423 got more than 20,000 likes when he asked, “Did I literally just watch a bear steal a pic-a-nic basket?”
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@Wendy got close to 18,000 likes when she pointed out, “Just a single mom trying to provide for her children…” Gain (yep, the laundry detergent brand) agreed, “All I see is a mother trying to provide for her family.”
Commenter @Michele made us laugh with, “Moma bear slammed that truck and gave the look of “back yo azz up” LOL!” She was not messin’ around! @Brooklyn added, “The way the bear slammed its paws on the tailgate…. She said ‘What ya wanna do pops?’!” @Aloha Dre cracked us up with, “Mom said ‘WE ARE GETTING TAKE OUT TONIGHT kiddos’!”
@beckyholland54 shared, “The cost of groceries that was equal to a bank robbery! LOL!” @_cidneyj agreed, “Imagine having to be okay with being robbed…” @Chandra T. Miller added, “That bear is like, ‘No, it WAS your food…’!”
Moral of the story: If you’re heading to Gatlinburg, don’t leave your food in the car. As soon as you arrive, unpack quickly, or a family of bears might beat you to it!
This story was originally reported by PetHelpful on Sep 20, 2025, where it first appeared in the Pet News section. Add PetHelpful as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
