Man defends actions in Smokies bear incident Posted: Friday, June 25, 2010 8:02 pm KNOXVILLE (AP) — A Connecticut man charged in a Great Smoky Mountains National Park trail encounter with a bear that bit him said he doesn’t feel like he did anything wrong. Records show Sean M. Konover of Wilton, Conn., has been charged with “willfully approaching” the bear in a way that caused the animal to be disturbed or displaced. Konover was hiking the Laurel Falls Trail May 12 and tried to take a photo of the black bear that bit him on the left foot and later had to be euthanized. Konover said in a telephone interview Thursday that he plans to consult a lawyer. He commended the park for “implementing their policies” but said he doesn’t believe he did anything wrong. Konover said he is a recent college graduate, with a degree in environmental studies. Published in The Messenger 6.25.10 |