Here's a well-written, firsthand account of a bear harassing a pair of hikers in the middle of the night in their tent. They retreated from the campsite, and the bear followed them for quite a distance.
https://thetrek.co/appalachian-trail...lachian-trail/
I'd always views black bears as big, timid raccoons, but things are changing. It seems there's a new story like this every year.
Maybe canisters will soon be required for the entire length of the AT?