by statesofminds

Created on: April 18, 2008

There are two basic methods to surviving a bear encounter or attack: to be aggressive or to be submissive. Unfortunately, that is where the simplicity ends; since every situation is different, and there are many different ways to be aggressive or submissive, no one answer exists for how to respond to a bear. One point is clear, the more knowledge a person has, the more likely they are to escape injury.

The best way to survive an attack is to prevent it from happening in the first place. A vast majority of victims have some warning of a possible attack-they see and hear the bear beforehand. This opens up the opportunity to take stock of the situation. Bears are like people in that they will act and react in different ways to different scenarios and circumstances. The trick is being able to identify the stimulus in the short time between sighting the bear and the time for action.

If the person intuitively senses any signs of submission from the bear (such as retreating or running a short distance, or showing indecision), chances are good that it can be scared away. This would be the time to act aggressively, making themselves look and sound as large and menacing as possible. You want to make sure that the bear is aware of your presence before doing this-a startled bear may charge, believing it is being attacked. Actively being aggressive is more of a risk than other options in many cases, however, in a majority of bear encounters, the person is left scared but unharmed (because the bear panics, crashing through the undergrowth at full speed).

Being submissive is more common and in many ways more wise. One example is a hiker meeting a bear on the trail; maybe the bear has not sensed the person yet or for some other reason, remains aloof. The safest way to handle the situation is for the hiker to back away slowly the way they came until out of sight again, then find a way around the bear to meet the trail ahead. This way, neither the bear or person is harmed or goes through the stress of an encounter.

Another consideration is the number and ages of the bears encountered. If it is a mother and cubs, extreme caution is required. Acting aggressively is the absolute worst action to take-a mother bear will defend her cubs to the death from any threat, whether real or perceived. Showing submissiveness is the best way to decrease the odds of attack.

The most submissive action also carried the benefit of protecting the most vital areas of the body. A person should drop to their knees, cross their legs at the ankles, lean downward until their head is between their knees, and lace their fingers behind their neck. This modified fetal position protects the body as much as possible; it does not expose the person's soft belly, the back of the neck is somewhat protected by the hands while the arms protect the sides. A person can get even more protection using any other items they have-a backpack can be kept on or a bicycle can be pulled across the person's back.

Most times, bears and people can interact in excitement if not peace. In the end, bear encounters or attacks are a slim risk that must be weighed against the enjoyment one takes from being outdoors; each person needs to do their own research and make their own choice.

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