Travels with Joe: Three Bears General Store, Pigeon Forge, Tenn

"Bear Pits" used to be found somewhat frequently in the south.    They lived up to the name:  It would be a pit filled with bears, where tourists would gather around and throw food down to the denizens therein.   I actually visited a few of them several years ago.  Since then, most of the bear pits have been closed down, as the general public has started demanding better and more natural animal exhibits in zoos and animal attractions.

However, an updated bear pit still exists in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.  The Three Bears Gift Store updated their pit so that it is now more of a zoo-type attraction, with caves, waterfalls and a small lake for the bears to escape the southern heat.  Twice a day, they offer you a chance to feed the bears.   Guests can buy a small cup of chopped fruit and dog biscuits to toss to the bears.  Naturally, this was the type of tourist trap I can't resist, so on a recent trip to Pigeon Forge I stopped in to have lunch with the bears.

The original three bears, reportedly saved from a bankrupt zoo that had planned to sell the bears to a hunter as live game, have been joined by two more bears for a grand total of five.   The bears seem to have the tourist game down to a science, knowing who has the feeding cups and how to elicit the food from them. 

Below you can see a video of us feeding the bears.