How to survive a bear attack – or better yet, avoid one altogether

Forrest Brown, CNN

(CNN) — You’re retired for a hike, reveling successful glorious nature. Suddenly, you spot a bear. And nan carnivore has spotted you, too. Would you cognize what to do next?

Beth Pratt judge would.

She was erstwhile connected nan Old Gardiner Road Trail successful Yellowstone National Park, enjoying her tally successful chaotic nature. Her reverie came to an extremity erstwhile she came upon a grizzly carnivore eating flowers.

“I stopped. It stood connected its hind legs and looked astatine me. I knew that wasn’t a threatening gesture,” she told CNN Travel. “I’m not kidding, it waved its paw astatine maine arsenic if to say, ‘just spell connected your way,’ and went backmost to eating.”

“And I walked slow distant and put immoderate region betwixt us, and nan brushwood ended fine.”

When it comes to dealing pinch bears, Pratt does person a point aliases 2 connected almost each nan remainder of us, though.

She is nan California location executive head for nan National Wildlife Federation, a occupation she’s had for much than 10 years. She worked successful Yellowstone for respective years – and erstwhile saw 9 grizzlies successful 1 time there.

Finally, she lives connected nan separator of Yosemite National Park, and bears will walk done her yard, including this 1 seen successful nan footage supra successful precocious September 2021.

You tin perceive nan enthusiasm successful Pratt’s sound arsenic she shares her carnivore bona fides and proposal to make judge bear/human encounters are delightful, not dangerous.

“A chaotic carnivore is simply a beautiful show to see. It’s unthinkable to spot them successful nan wild. I ne'er had a bad acquisition pinch bears. What I effort to get group to consciousness is respect, not fear, for bears. The animal usually wants to debar nan encounters.”

Bears successful nan news

Bear attacks are rare, Pratt and US National Park Service websites constituent out, but they do happen:

• A disable seasoned survived an onslaught from a mother grizzly astatine Grand Teton National Park successful Wyoming successful May 2024. “It was the astir convulsive thing I person ever experienced.”

• A huntsman suffered superior injuries successful a grizzly carnivore onslaught successful British Columbia successful May 2024.

• Bear attacks are on nan summation successful Japan.

• A man mislaid portion of his jaw successful a grizzly carnivore attack successful Montana successful September 2023.

• Two group died successful a suspected grizzly carnivore attack successful Canada’s Banff National Park successful precocious September 2023.

• Two collegiate wrestlers were mauled by a grizzly carnivore near Cody, Wyoming, successful October 2022; they had superior injuries but survived.

They exemplify nan constituent that uncommon doesn’t adjacent never.

Feasts for beasts

While it pays to beryllium diligent astatine immoderate time, autumn is simply a peculiarly bully play to bony up connected carnivore facts and information erstwhile galore bears are successful a shape known arsenic hyperphagia, Pratt said. “It’s a play successful nan autumn wherever bears are eating thing and everything to fatten up for hibernation.”

She noted upland lions are comparatively picky eaters. Not bears.

“They eat everything: Ants. Roadkill. Flowers. Nuts. And unfortunately, quality nutrient that’s not secured. Our nutrient is very charismatic to them; it’s easy calories.”

Combine that pinch nan truth that immoderate nationalist and authorities parks person go very celebrated and crowded, and you person a look for imaginable trouble.

“If much group are utilizing nationalist lands and much group are successful nan mix, there’s much imaginable for encounters and conflict. It does interest maine a small bit,” Pratt said.

The cardinal is being prepared – and that’s wherever Pratt and others successful nan cognize travel in.

First norm of ‘bear conflict club’: Don’t fight

The champion strategy is to ne'er get successful harm’s measurement by enticing aliases provoking a chaotic bear. Trying to springiness a carnivore nutrient aliases approaching tiny cubs are peculiarly unspeakable ways to commencement an encounter. That’s conscionable looking for trouble.

The US National Park Service tract points retired each carnivore and each brushwood is different, but location are wide guidelines useful successful astir situations.

First of all, keep your distance if you hap upon a bear. Don’t attack it, and springiness it plentifulness of room to locomotion distant from you. Yellowstone tells you to enactment astatine slightest 100 yards (300 feet aliases 91 meters) away; Shenandoah National Park successful Virginia suggests 200 feet (61 meters) for its achromatic bears.

You tin tally afoul of nan rule arsenic good arsenic nan bears if you get excessively adjacent and end up paying a fine.

Other tips:

• Talk calmly to yourself successful debased tones to place yourself arsenic human.

• Walk pinch a group (we’re smellier and noisier successful packs) and enactment connected designated trails.

• If you person a mini kid aliases dog, prime it up.

• Don’t put yourself betwixt cubs and their mother.

• Avoid nonstop oculus contact and move distant slowly, sideways if possible.

Pratt said don’t beryllium alarmed if a carnivore stands connected its hind legs; it’s not considered an fierce move.

Almost each encounters are peaceful, Pratt said. Many times, group ne'er knew they were moreover adjacent to a bear, arsenic successful this YouTube video that shows 2 group emerging from a basement oblivious to a adjacent bear.

What if a carnivore starts coming astatine you anyway?

If a carnivore starts making assertive moves successful your direction, you person important decisions to make – and fast. First point is: Stand your crushed pinch bears.

With either grizzlies (a subspecies of brownish bears) aliases achromatic bears, “please don’t run. Bears tin outrun anybody,” Pratt said. “Don’t climb a character either. They tin besides climb trees amended than you.”

New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Division of Fish and Wildlife (where nan achromatic carnivore organization is growing) also has immoderate tips:

• Make large noises by yelling, banging pots and pans aliases utilizing an airhorn to scare bears away.

• Make yourself look arsenic ample arsenic imaginable by waving your arms.

• If you’re pinch different people, enactment together.

Pratt said you tin usually intimidate aliases bluff your measurement retired of sticky carnivore situations, depending connected nan carnivore type and nan situation.

But what if a carnivore is astir to attack?

You’re now successful nan rarest of situations – you’ve attracted a bear’s attention. It didn’t move off. It’s started coming astatine you aggressively and fast. You deliberation you’re astir to beryllium attacked. What’s next?

One very important point is to make a speedy ID of nan benignant of bear, because your strategy is going to beryllium different depending connected nan type of bear.

If it’s a achromatic bear, nan NPS and Pratt person a clear message: Do not run. Do not play dead.

“You want to guidelines your crushed pinch achromatic bears. Look arsenic intimidating arsenic possible,” Pratt said. “Throw things not astatine it but adjacent it. Make that achromatic carnivore intimidated by you. Let it cognize you are a large person. Pick thing up; outcry astatine it. If it attacks, conflict backmost – purpose for nan face.”

It’s a different business pinch grizzlies

If you’re dealing pinch a grizzly that won’t backmost disconnected and an onslaught is imminent, you’re advised to do nan opposite. You should play dead.

“Act arsenic unthreatening arsenic imaginable pinch a grizzly. Play dormant pinch a grizzly if it starts to attack,” Pratt said. “Tuck and cover. Get into a fetal position. Wrap your hands astir your neck. Lay connected your stomach. Once you do that, 99 percent of nan clip nan grizzly will move on.”

NPS elaborates: “Remain still until nan carnivore leaves nan area. Fighting backmost usually increases nan strength of specified attacks. However, if nan onslaught persists, conflict backmost vigorously.”

Fighting backmost a grizzly carnivore is nan past edifice – “your Hail Mary pass” arsenic Pratt called it – erstwhile each different options are out.

An objection to this rule: If you’re camping successful a shelter and are attacked, that carnivore apt sees you arsenic food. NPS and Pratt opportunity this is simply a clip to fight.

How do you show a achromatic carnivore from a grizzly?

First off, cognize your area and publication up connected nan bears there.

In North America, grizzlies person a overmuch much constricted scope than achromatic bears do. In nan Lower 48, they are successful Washington, Montana, Idaho and Wyoming. And then successful Alaska, too. They besides screen large parts of occidental Canada.

Black bears person much territory. They tin beryllium recovered successful arsenic galore arsenic 40 US states, overmuch of Canada and moreover parts of bluish Mexico, nan National Wildlife Federation says.

So opportunity you’re successful Quebec, nan Appalachians, nan Ozarks, California aliases moreover parts of Florida, that’s going to beryllium a achromatic bear. But if you’re successful Yellowstone aliases Glacier National Park, for instance, that could beryllium a achromatic carnivore aliases a grizzly. That’s erstwhile it’s important to cognize really to make a speedy ocular ID.

You can’t spell by nan colour of nan fur. Black bears tin beryllium black, brown, cinnamon, blond, blue-gray aliases white, according to Bear.org.

One of nan champion ways to show nan difference, Pratt said, is to look for a hump astatine nan shoulders. Grizzlies person them. Black bears don’t.

She besides said nan look shapes are different. “Black carnivore faces look a small much cuddly to me, a small rounder, pinch a consecutive nose. A grizzly carnivore look looks much for illustration a chaotic predator and has a dished shape.”

This NPS webpage has more adjuvant ways to show nan differences.

Fun facts: Eight carnivore type tin beryllium recovered each complete nan world – from tropical Sri Lanka to nan frigid reaches of Russia, Norway and Canada. And European websites specified arsenic Bear Watching Slovenia springiness galore of nan aforesaid information tips arsenic North Americans get.

Bear spray and weapons

Some group for illustration to transportation carnivore spray and/or a limb pinch them erstwhile venturing into carnivore country.

Pratt is an advocator of nan erstwhile and says beryllium judge to believe utilizing it first earlier going into nan wild. NPS has adjuvant tips connected utilizing spray to ward disconnected bears.

She’s much cautious astir bringing firearms pinch you, particularly if you’re inexperienced. “Taking a grizzly retired pinch 1 changeable would beryllium tough. You request to beryllium very knowledgeable pinch a weapon to summation your chance of safety.”

A Brigham Young University study successful 2008 recovered spray much effective than a firearm. And spray doesn’t permanently harm a bear.

Some group for illustration to transportation carnivore bells connected their hikes, hoping nan sound will ward disconnected nan animals. But the parkland work says that “Yelling, clapping and talking are much effective ways of alerting a carnivore to your presence.”

What campers request to know

If you’re retired camping overnight, you person other considerations to take.

Kyle Patterson, guidance master and nationalist affairs serviceman astatine Rocky Mountain National Park, emailed CNN Travel immoderate ways to support quiet bears away.

Patterson advised utilizing a nutrient retention locker if provided successful campgrounds and picnic areas. Also, “avoid storing nutrient and coolers successful your vehicle. If you must, shop nutrient successful airtight containers successful nan trunk aliases retired of sight. Close conveyance windows completely.”

Other tips and cautions:

• Don’t shop nutrient successful tents aliases pop-up campers successful campgrounds aliases successful vehicles astatine trailheads.

• Don’t time off food, coolers and soiled cookware unattended. Park rangers whitethorn confiscate them and mention you.

• Get free of garbage successful bear-resistant dumpsters and trash cans.

Human-fed bears usually extremity up arsenic chronic problems and request to beryllium removed, Patterson said. “A fed carnivore is simply a dormant bear.”

The shot is successful our court

Pratt emphasized it’s up to humans to beryllium responsible to these creatures.

“The bears are conscionable being bears. We are measurement much of a threat to them. Bear attacks are truthful rare. And fatalities are moreover rarer,” she said.

“The bears’ lives are much astatine threat than ours successful encounters. I want group to person magical, awesome experiences successful nan wild. I want group to consciousness OK astir having these encounters.”

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