Avoiding Problems
Problem Bears
Problems can occur whenever bears and people occupy the same area. You can encounter a bear by chance, or because the bear is attracted to your activity. Bears are curious, and often investigate a strange object, smell, or noise. They also have a tremendous and constant drive to find as much nutritious food as they can during their time out of the den. These two traits, coupled with a bear's remarkable sense of smell, often lead bears to areas of human activity. The outcome of a bear's visit to a camp or community will influence its future behaviour. If it does not find food, it may not return once its curiosity has been satisfied. If it successfully obtains food from a human source - such as a garbage dump, backpack, or unclean camp - it begins to associate food with anything human, and investigate areas used by humans whether or not food is actually detected. A bear will gradually lose its tendency to avoid people as it learns to associate them with food. It may become bold and aggressive.
Once started, the habits of problem bears are difficult to break. It is your responsibility as a visitor in bear country to ensure that your actions do not encourage those habits. It is unfortunate, but a problem bear is often destroyed.
General Conduct
Safety is everyone's responsibility - it is not a job that can be delegated to someone else and then forgotten about. The actions of each individual affect the safety of everyone else.
Remember these simple rules:
- Be alert at all times.
- Respect all bears - they can be dangerous.
- Never approach a bear for any reason. Photographs should be taken from a safe distance with a telephoto lens.
- Never feed bears or other wildlife.
- Have a plan of action for dealing with bears and be sure everyone understands it.
- If you are traveling with small children, make sure you know where they are at all times.
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