OCONEE COUNTY — U.S. Forest Service officials closed the Long Bottom Ford Campground, also known as the Low Water Bridge Campground, in Oconee County on Thursday because of a recent black bear encounter.

The campground is on Low Water Bridge Road off S.C. 28 in Oconee County.

“According to campers at the site, a black bear ripped open an individual’s tent in search of food,” said Mike Crane, Andrew Pickens District Ranger, according to a Forest Service news release. “Reports also came in of a mother bear and three cubs at the site.”

No one was injured at the site by a bear, said Michelle Burnett of the Forest Service.

All campers at the primitive campground have been asked to leave as soon as possible. The campground will remain closed for at least a week while Forest Service personnel continue to monitor the site, according to the release. Once food sources are removed from the campground, the bear and her cubs likely will leave the site, according to Skip Still, a certified wildlife biologist for the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources.

“Although some people may be disappointed that we are closing the campground and disrupting their vacation, the safety of our visitors is our absolute No. 1 priority,” Crane said. “When it comes to protecting the public, we always err on the side of caution. It’s definitely better to be safe than sorry.”

A black bear alert remains posted on the Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests’ Web site for the Andrew Pickens Ranger District. If left alone, bears generally are not dangers to people, according to the release. Bears can become a nuisance, however, if they find food in or around campsites, garbage cans, picnic areas, coolers, tents or vehicles that are left open.