What to do if you meet a bear

What to do if you meet a bear

Going to the forest, remember, this is YOU, who goes to wild animals’ place, not they! So, as a guest you should know some rules of behavior when meeting a bear. This animal attacks extremely rare. Such cases are rather exception than norm. Usually, bears run away when they see a human, but sometimes they can approach just because of curiosity. However, in the end of June, in July and more often in August bears mating season occurs, and a jealous male bear warring with other enemies, can attack, if he finds a man on his territory.

To avoid a meeting with a bear:

● Set your camp on specially organized tourist stations;

● Make trips not alone, it’s better to do in the company of three and more people;

● Take signal means with you (road or signal flares) – they will scare off any pdator;

● Don’t leave food waste in the place of your rest and on the paths;

● Moving along a path, try to make more sounds: talk and sing. A bear is a very clever animal – he will not hitchhike. Sometimes there is just not enough sounds of steps or crunch of branches moved away, to make a bear hear a man approaching and go away;

● Try to walk close to open spaces and open woodlands – it’s easier to see a bear there, than in the bushes;

● Go along the routes only during daytime;

● Don’t forget to look back sometimes.

If you have met a bear:

● Don’t panic, it’s better to form a dense group and lift your backpacks up - a bear doesn’t like anything bigger than him;

● Bears are afraid of everything unexpected. In 90 % of cases a sudden whistle, unexpected hands clap, opened raincoat or a backpack unexpectedly thrown up is enough to make the beast run away.

● Don’t look into the bear’s eyes – in the animals world in means a challenge. On meeting a man, the bear himself usually looks not at him, but aside. It means, he isn’t going to attack;

● Don’t approach to the bear cubs, try to keep as far from them as possible, even if they are so cute, - their mother is somewhere close;

● If a bear stands on his hind paws, it doesn’t mean that he has aggressive plans. He takes this posture in order to see better what has interested him and to warn about his psence;

● And when a bear, staring at you, starts to bulge his lower lip and lunge towards you, it is a signal that you have crossed his territory and his requirement is^“Go away!”.

● Go away, don’t turn to the bear with your back, don’t make noise, don’t make any sudden moves, just move way backwards and quickly, move smoothly away from the dangerous area. When you leave the dangerous place, run as quickly as you can and make much noise, shout, blow your whistle, attract other people’s attention;

● If a bear attacks, give up! Fall on the ground and ptend you are dead. Lay on your stomach or curl into a ball, with your hands behind the head. It’s common for a bear to stop attacking if he feels that danger has been defeated. Stay unmoving as long as possible. If you move, and the bear hears or sees you, he can come back and start his attack again.

On the materials by the EMERCOM of Russia

Photoshoot of the bears’ family by Dmitry Arkhipov