A black bear was hit by a car and killed on a Tennessee highway after it found a delicious snack on the side of the road while it was bulking up for winter, officials with the Appalachian Bear Rescue said on Facebook.

Gibbs explained that Middle Tennessee was historically home to many black bears, but settlers hunted them, relegating these large creatures to the eastern part of the state, until

The Appalachian Bear Rescue (ABR) issued a statement Tuesday regarding a black bear that had been found dead on a highway near Townsend, Tennessee. The agency said that the animal was found on a roadway that "quickly becomes steep and curvy as you get closer to the mountains."

The Appalachian Bear Rescue shared photos of the deceased bear on Facebook to remind people to throw away leftover food in forested areas.

The Appalachian Bear Rescue said they were notified on Tuesday of a black bear having been struck and killed on Highway 321 between Townsend and Maryville. The rescue said that visibility is low in the section of the highway because the road becomes steep and curvy.