PETA brings animatronic bear to Pigeon Forge’s Three Bears General Store

PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. — The Three Bears General Store is home to twin bears, River and Daisy. Every day, people stop by the store to shop or see the bears. 

Animal rights group PETA has been working for years to get bears from the store released. They’re now calling for the twins to be placed into a sanctuary. 

To start their week-long efforts in Sevier County, volunteers and a seven-foot animatronic bear named “Bernard” set up about half a mile away from the store. The robotic bear was voiced by actor Casey Affleck.

►Related: Actor Joaquin Phoenix urges Pigeon Forge business to release two bears

The bear told a story about being safe and protected in a sanctuary while other bears suffered in roadside zoos. 

“They need your help. They deserve freedom. If you don’t go, they’ll have to let the bears retire to wonderful sanctuaries like mine,” part of the bear’s message said. 

Alicia Santuri is a traveling campaigner with PETA. She said the cement pit the bears live in now keeps them from living a normal life. 

“A sanctuary is where they can live in the outdoors. They can create dens, hibernate and forage,” she said. “At Three Bears General Store, they are trapped in a barren cement pit for tourists to come and gawk at them. It’s not natural.”

She said the group’s efforts are to persuade store leaders. They’re also working to convince people to boycott the store. 

“Hopefully, if the public stops going to Three Bears General Store and urges them to release the bears, they will see that the people, the tourists of this city, don’t want the bears in a cement pit. They want them released to a sanctuary, and they’ll listen to their customers and they’ll do the right thing,” Santuri said. 

Some visitors said they don’t see things the same way. Allen Farmer is visiting from South Carolina. He said his son loves bears, that’s why they decided to visit the general store. 

“I think as long as animals are taken care of and they’re fed properly. I think everything’s good, plus, you know, people enjoy doing this,” he said. 

Farmer said it was a great experience for his son. Another visitor, Scott McCann, said he wished he hadn’t spent the money to see the bears. 

“They were just in a small cage. They look miserable. We’re in an area where you can see them in their natural habitat pretty easily. Just keep your distance. It was not pleasant to go in there,” he said. 

McCann said, while he’s not sure of PETA’s motivations, he does want to see the bears released. 

10News reached out to the general store and was given this statement, 

“At Three Bears General Store, we understand and respect that people care deeply about animal welfare. So do we.

Our bear habitat is designed with long-term care in mind. Daisy and River, the black bears in our care, are monitored daily, receive routine veterinary visits, and are provided with proper nutrition, enrichment, and supervision in line with state and federal guidelines.

These bears are non-releasable and require lifelong human care and dependency. They cannot safely survive in the wild. Their story gives us a powerful opportunity to educate. We use their presence to teach visitors how to respect wild bears, avoid harmful human behaviors, and protect bear populations across the Smokies. Our goal is to ensure wild bears can continue to thrive, and stay untouched, unharmed, and free.

As a family-owned business rooted in the Smoky Mountains since 1979, our mission goes beyond tourism. We’re an educational destination. Thousands of students, families, and visitors come here to learn about bears and their behavior. Our team regularly visits schools, hosts field trips, and stays informed on the latest regional bear research to share up-to-date and responsible education.

We believe in stewarding both animal and human relationships with respect – not fear, and not sensationalism.

We remain committed to continuous improvement and transparency. We welcome anyone with questions to reach out to see our efforts firsthand.”