While pandas are cute and cuddly and would probably rather snuggle up with you than tear your face off, black bears are a different story. Sure, they tend to avoid humans, but in park areas where people feed them regularly, the natural fear they have for people evaporates and they begin to associate people with food. In order to keep yourself off the menu, you'll have to remember some important steps.
1. Don’t let it smell food
Wildlife ecologist Graham Forbes told CBC News that hikers and campers should keep food, garbage and even bird food put away.
2. Don’t sneak up on a bear
Make noise because it may keep a bear at bay, Forbes said. Bears have bad eyesight and may not see a camper until he is too close.
3. Don’t fake your death
Bill Stiver, a wildlife biologist at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, told ABC News playing dead only works with brown bears.
4. Don’t try to run away
“Stand your ground. You can’t outrun a bear,” Stiver said. “You’re basically trying to show the bear you’re not afraid of it.”
“A lot of predators have an instinctual response that if something runs, they’ll chase it,” Forbes said.
5. Put up a good fight
Wave your arms, hold up your hands, try to appear as tall as possible. If you’re in a group, stand together. Clap, yell and throw things.
“You’re trying to scare it away before it gets too close,” Stiver told ABC News. “Get a big stick, some rocks. Bang pots and pans.”
If the bear doesn’t back off and — worst-case scenario — moves in for the attack, “do everything you can to get that animal off you,” Stiver said.
Get physical. Punch and kick.
Making sure the bear never mistakes you for food is priority #1. Don't have any food or smelly substances (toothpaste, deodorant, film) inside the tent. Secure them in a bear bag up in a tree. It should also go without saying, but don't sneak up on a bear. A majority of attacks occur because people got too close too quickly and startled the bears.
Finally, if a black bear is inches away from attacking you, punch it in the face. Preferably with a heavy stick or rock. You want to convince the bear that you're not worth it. Luckily, you probably won't ever have to be in that situation.
If you want to learn more about fending off bear attacks, you can read the original article at the Washington Post.
Best way to stop a bear from killing you is the same way you stop a man from killing you. Kill the$#%&!@*out of it first. At least you can eat the bear and not feel wierd about it.
Actually, a Panda will mess you up if you got near one in the wild. They aren’t as cuddly as you might think.
Black bears are no where’s near as dangerous as brown or grizzly bears. The 5 encounters I’ve had with black bears, 2 male and 1 female with 2 cubs, have all been fine. When the bears got too close I just made my self known and the bears all took off running. One of the males I ran into was a bit more stubborn and bluff charged me. I stood my ground and took a step closer to the bear, he instantly turned and bolted into the woods. Black bears are more timid than most bears and would rather run from a human than attack. Early spring and fall are the most dangerous times to run into a bear. The spring they emerge from their dens and are hungry, and in the fall they are filling up for the winter. I’m not saying that you should risk your life to get as close to a bear as possible. If you encounter a black bear don’t run. If you run you become something to be caught and is the reason most people are killed by black bears. Slowly back away till it’s safe to turn and walk away. If a black bear charges it’s most likely to be a bluff charge, just to scare you. And if a black bear does charge you make yourself as large as possible and yell like you’ve never yelled before, if you appear to be more than the bear can handle he will more than likely leave you be. But of course bears are still wild animals and sometimes you get a black bear that just has no fear or is starving and will eat whatever it can get a hold of. I’d rather live in a black bear infested forest than a grizzly infested forest any day.
Herk Haston
Pee your pants and that will turn off the perpetrator… Oops that’s rape not black bears?
Dione Berumen Dominguez
Act like prey, get eaten like prey.
Derek Black
Joseph Perverts, I agree. Every encounter I’ve had with a black bear, here in the Eastern U.S. has been rather timid. The only exception was about 35 years ago in Northern Pa. Mom and her cubs at our families hunting cabin. Some people were washing in a creek using apple scented shampoo. Cubs came down to the creek and the people got between them and mom. She charged us but we ran back to the cabin and stayed close to it. Overtime we went off of the porch she charged, but only so far. Eventually she rounded up the kids and with a swipe of the paw away they went. Usually seeing a black bear in the woods is a rare treat. One that should be savored with wonderment, respect and caution. The Pennsylvania Game Commission made s video years ago on the Pennsylvania Black Bear.
Sorry, Mr. Perretta, stupid spell check.
Peter wtf you’ve never encountered any bears in your life lol. Wow I’ve been with you for 5 years and never once have you EVER mentioned coming in contact with bears!!! I think your getting your life mixed up with tv life
Kinda like a dog then?
You grab that bear by the neck and demand it give you some money!
I camp in breast country a couple tonnes a year and I’ve had a couple black bear encounters. They’re pretty much harmless, they don’t like people or noise. Most of the time you can shoo then off by simply talking. The only way a black bear is attacking you is #1 you get in between a bear and it’s cubs. #2 you get in between a hungry bear and it’s food and #3 if a bear is cornered and feels threatened. They’re much more scared of you trust me.
Had a dream about a black bear last night I totally forgot about this reminded me
This article fails to mention the false bluff!
Bullshit panda bears are no different ,from black,bears ,grizzly bears, when it is predation..or a saw protecting there young there all just as lethal … a camping trip almost a month ago it was bear country but what i tracked that was active in the area was a mountain lion with the same lethal power as a bear
Had a bear roast once….it was delicious, some of the tastiest meat I have ever had.