Bear Safety
Even the cutest, friendliest panhandling bear
is extremely dangerous if he for any reason thinks of you as a food source.
The bears residing within GSMNP are wild bears. They are not trained
bears like the ones we see on television.
Recently a female hiker was killed and partially eaten
by a mother bear and her cub. The tragic incident was the first reported
fatal attack by black bears in the history of The Great Smoky Mountain
National Park. As is any bear that seriously injures a person, the mother
bear and her cub were destroyed. Their destruction was necessary as bears
are creatures of habit and repeat behavior that results in food for them.
"Officials stress that such incidents are extremely
rare. The park receives over 10 million visitors annually and is home
to approximately 1,800 black bears with very few injuries. This was not
only the first fatal mauling in the Smokies, it was the first fatal attack
by a black bear in the history of the entire American National park system," says
Smokies Guide, the official newspaper of The Great Smoky Mountain National
Park.
Despite
obvious risks, most people feel fortunate if they see a bear while in
the park and most do so without placing themselves, others, or the bears
in jeopardy. Some visitors, however, definitely get too close to this
usually shy but powerful animal. One wildlife photographer described
outright bear harassment by some of the park visitors--citing his experiences
of having seen a bear literally surrounded by a group which encircled
her treed cub while trying to pet it. This was a most dangerous situation.
No matter how tame and cute the bears appear, one should never get between
a mother and her cubs. Put yourself in her place: if your child was surrounded
by wild bears, wouldn't you feel threatened and concerned for the safety
of your child? A bear's reaction to this situation can be life-threatening--yours!
GSMNP officials provided the following rules for safe
visits to black bear country in The Great Smoky Mountain National Park:
"When You See A Bear:
1. Do not feed or toss food to a bear or any wild animal.
2. Keep children close to you.
3. Keep pets indoors or in a vehicle or camper.
4. Do not approach a bear — they are dangerous. If it changes its
natural behavior (feeding, foraging, or movement) because of your presence,
you are too close!
5. Never surround or corner a bear.
6. Never run from a bear — back slowly away and make lots of noise.
However if the bear starts to approach you, stand your ground. Yell and
wave your arms above your head.
7. Encourage others to follow these instructions.
8. Be responsible. Improper behavior on your part may have serious
consequences!
9. In the extreme cast that you are attacked by a black bear, try
to fight back using any object available. Playing dead is usually not an
appropriate response to a black bear attack."
Great Smoky Mountain National Park officials also routinely
ask that park visitors to please remember the bears are
wild and you are a guest in its habitat. The park service advises people
to stay in the vehicle if you see a bear while driving through the park.
If you see a bear while you are on the trail, walk well around it and
know that most likely the bear will want to avoid you also. However,
if a bear is not afraid of you, it can mean he no longer associates people
with danger and may have begun instead to associate people with handouts
or food left behind by campers. Again, such bears are unpredictable so
be cautious.
Though it is illegal to feed the bears in the Great
Smoky Mountain National Park and in spite of fines and danger, some people
ignore the law and feed the bears anyway. Perhaps the bear’s cute
appearance gives those people the false sense that the bear is not dangerous.
This is a big mistake. Why? Does being chased by a three hundred pound
animal that can run thirty miles an hour sound convincing? This classic
nightmare is too often a reality when kindness persuades tourists to
feed a panhandling bear but when they do not have enough food to satisfy
its enormous appetite. True not all bears respond with aggression to
a slow down in the food supply but enough of them do to make the possibility
of injury a serious concern. In 1997 alone three hundred fifty nine bear-related
incidents were recorded in GSMNP. Some of these were injuries and some
were for property damage. One camper in another park lost a couple of
fingers while feeding a bear by hand.
Even if you never feed park bears deliberately keep
in mind that the bears in the Smokies have a keen sense of smell so they
can find berries in the wild, but and are attracted to food of any sort
including human food. Overnight campers are advised to hang their food
or store food items, in a bear safe container. Cables as well as bear-proof
lockers are provided for this purpose in most backcountry campgrounds.
However, if you check with the rangers at the visitor center and they
don’t have cables at your campground destination, ask them about
buying or renting one of the park’s bear-proof canisters.
There is another alternative if you go to an area with
no lockers or cables. You can hang your food from a rope strung like
a clothesline between two trees. (Note: It is helpful to also drape the
rope across a couple of limbs which are strong enough to support the
packs but not strong enough to support a bear.) The line must be at least
ten feet off the ground and taught enough to support the things you hang
from it. The food hung from the rope needs to be at least four feet from
a tree trunk or limb.
Backcountry campers are also advised not to cook or
store food in or near your tent as the food odors may act as a bear magnet.
When you leave the backcountry, pack out your trash. Burying unused food
will not keep it away from bears that are equipped with long claws for
digging. The fire ring should not be left containing any food, food wrappers,
foil, cans, glass, etc even if an attempt has been made to burn them.
Do all possible to keep bears away from people food as their success
in stealing food eventually will eventually result in the bears death.
Banging pots together and throwing rocks often discourages bears from
coming close to campers. Wild bears live as much as 23 percent longer
than panhandler bears. Some estimates place that percentage at 50 percent.
Food issues aside, for safety purposes, it is also
helpful to know that bears are protective of their cubs. Visitors to
the Great Smoky Mountains should not follow a mother and it’s cub
for any reason. This behavior has been known to cause injury.
In spite of the obvious risks of mixing bears with
people, when you come to the Smokies, keep in mind there are over ten
million visitors to GSMNP every year. For most, to see a bear is the
highlight of their trip to the Smokies. Only a small percentage come
into contact with bears in a negative way. If you follow the park rules
about bears found at the visitor center, you and your family have little
need to fear your Smoky Mountain vacation will be anything but rewarding.
To report a problem bear inside the park, call
1-865-436-1200 or contact a ranger or GSMNP visitor center. Outside the
park, call 1-800-332-0900 (Tennessee) or 1-828-456-4123 (North Carolina)
or the local police department.
More Black Bear Info:
Front Page • Where
To Find Them • Safety • Habitat
Appearance • Breeding • Bear
Cubs • Diet • Hibernation • Links