ASHEVILLE, N.C. — An eight-mile section of the Blue Ridge Parkway in western North Carolina was closed indefinitely on Monday after officials received multiple reports of people attempting to hold and feed a young bear.

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According to a news release from the National Park Service, officials said the parkway is closed “until further notice” after reports surfaced of the incident at the Lane Pinnacle Overlook, which is located about 12 miles northeast of downtown Asheville.

The scenic route will be closed from the area near the Craggy Gardens Picnic Area to Ox Creek Road, the Asheville Citizen Times reported. Visitors can still access the recreation using State Road 80 from the north, according to the National Park Service news release.

“We are closing this section of the road temporarily for the safety of both the bear and park visitors,” Tracy Swartout, the superintendent of the Blue Ridge Parkway, said in a statement. “When people intentionally attract bears with trash and food it can lead to very dangerous situations.

“In this instance we want to give the bear a chance to lose interest in the area before the situation escalates and visitors or the bear are harmed.”

Autumn is a crucial time for bears, according to Ashley Hobbs, a special project biologist at the N.C. Wildlife Resource Commission. She told the Citizen Times that bears try to “put on as much weight as possible to tide them over through the winter months when their natural foods are scarcer.”

Between September and November, bears are focused on eating 20 out of 24 hours a day and will consume approximately 20,000 calories on a given day, according to the newspaper.

“During this time bears actively seek out natural foods but will also take advantage of human foods when presented with the opportunity,” the National Park Service said in its news release.

Visitors are asked to report any bear encounters on the parkway by calling 828-298-2491 or by stopping at the nearest visitor center.