Why bears attack humans

Only a small percentage of their diet consist of meat, which includes fish, insects and other mammals the exact percentage is dependant on the type of food is available in their habitat. Fact: Bears see in colour and have good vision similar to humans.

Their night vision is excellent and they are particularly attuned to detecting movement. This layer reflects light back through the retina, allowing light to stimulate light-sensitive cells in the retina a second time, thereby improving night vision.

This is what gives dogs, cats and many nocturnal animals that distinct, bright green eyeshine when they are flashed with a light at night. Bears may travel hundreds of kilometres in their search for food. If you have stored your food and garbage properly, the bear will likely move on.

If bears are hanging around, something is attracting them. Removing the attraction will usually solve the problem. Fact: Removing the bear and not the attractant will only create an opportunity for another bear to move in, creating a vicious cycle of conflict and killing. Stephen Herrero. Those injured defending themselves with bear pepper spray experienced shorter attacks and less severe injuries than those who chose to use firearms US Fish and Wildlife Service.

Click here to read the full report. Bears are actually attracted to pepper spray residue if it is sprayed on the ground or on objects. Never spray it around a tent or on yourself. Click here for more information. Fact: Because black bears can tree their cubs, it is rare for them to attack a person in defence of cubs.

The chances are good that she will just bluff charge and stop well short of physical contact. You need to do whatever you can to show her that you are not a threat, otherwise the consequences could be tragic. Be quiet, make yourself smaller and retreat. Fact: Bear attacks are extremely rare. Although there are thousands of human-bear encounters every year, only a very few result in personal injury.

Most bears will actually retreat before you are even aware of their presence. The dogs, yelping and barking, later returned to the cabin, but the woman never returned and was later found with a bear standing over her. Bear attacks involving dogs also occurred in June, when a California man was bitten after he kicked a bear that attacked his dog in his yard, in December , when a Pennsylvania woman was dragged 88 yards in her front yard after a bear attacked both her and her dog, and in June , when a man wrestled a black bear after it lunged at his dog at Jasper National Park in Alberta, Canada.

The dog in that case was killed. In Minnesota, three of the seven unprovoked bear attacks recorded since in which the victim required hospitalization involved a dog, Dave Garshelis, a bear research scientist with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, told ABC News. None of those attacks were fatal, Garshelis said. Often in those types of cases, the owner gets hurt when he or she tries to intercede in the scuffle, or the dog runs back to its owner for protection and "next thing you know the bear is 2 feet away," Garshelis said.

Knowing what to do in the event that a dog encounters a bear is a "tough call" because the situations can be so unpredictable, Garshelis said.

He suggested arming yourself with some type of weapon, such as a gun or big stick, "especially if the dog is running back to you for protection. Yelling or banging pots and pans may do the trick as well, Garshelis said, while Rogers advised using pepper spray to encourage bears to retreat.

An article on the website for Orvis , a retail company that specializes in fishing, hunting and sporting goods, suggests that dog owners "quietly and quickly leave the area" if the bear has not spotted you, but if it has, to "keep your dog close and calm, avoiding sudden movements.

MYTH: Bears are naturally aggressive towards humans. TRUTH: Bears are normally shy, retiring creatures who only act aggressively as a last resort — usually when they feel threatened.

Bears very rarely exhibit predatory behavior towards humans. However, a bear that has been exposed to human food or garbage may become dangerous and aggressive towards people. MYTH: A bear standing on its hind legs is preparing to charge. This is not a threat or a signal that the bear is about to charge. Bears rarely attack, but when they do it is on all fours, with their heads down.

MYTH: If a bear huffs and growls, or slaps the ground, it is about to attack. The bear is trying to avoid a fight. MYTH: Once a bear charges, it is attacking. MYTH: The best way to get away from an aggressive bear is by running. Bears can run as fast as a racehorse for short distances, and can run faster than the fastest human in any direction, including uphill.

MYTH: If you can, you should climb to escape from a grizzly bear. While its long claws make climbing more difficult for a grizzly than for a black bear, a grizzly can get to you in a tree — it will more likely, however, be able to reach you before you reach the tree.