Bear Safety

NPS Photo / Emily Mesner

 

Recreating In Bear Country

At the top of many visitors’ wish lists is the opportunity to see wildlife. Few animals elicit the oohs and aahs of seeing a grizzly bear in the wild, and it's easy to understand why. Bears are magnificent animals, capable of moments of ferocity as well as playfulness. This dichotomy of behavior often leads people to view bears as dangerous beasts or silly buffoons. The truth is they are both and everything in between.

The following information is based on the most current understanding of how to avoid negative encounters and increase safety for you and bears. Understanding defensive and non-defensive bear behavior is important—your response to an encounter should be based on the bear's behavior.

 

Preventing Negative Encounters With Bears

What can you do to reduce the chances of a dangerous situation? Knowledge is the key to prevention and is the most important tool to take with you in bear country. Two of the best ways to avoid conflicts are to prevent surprise encounters and to ensure your food and trash are always stored properly.

Preventing Surprise Encounters

When bears feel threatened, they will either fight or flee. Most of the time they flee, but bears may also respond to a threat by charging or attacking. This most commonly occurs when people encounter female bears with cubs or bears protecting a food source (e.g., a carcass). To reduce the chances of a surprise encounter:

• Make your presence known – Hike in groups and make noise to avoid surprising bears.
• Move in the open and avoid areas with poor visibility when possible. In areas of poor visibility, make noise more frequently.
• Traveling along rivers or other noisy areas makes it difficult for bears to hear you. Be extra loud in noisy areas.
• Pay attention to signs of bear activity (tracks, scat, dug up areas, etc.).
• Watch for carcasses – Look for bird activity to alert you of a carcass that a bear may be feeding on. If you see or smell a carcass, leave the area.
• Don’t wear headphones or earbuds when hiking, jogging, or biking.
• Biking and jogging increase your speed and the likelihood of surprising a bear. Read more about cycling safety.
• Stay at least 300 yards away from all bears (the length of three football fields).
• Ask about recent bear activity at the visitor center or Backcountry Information Center.
• Pay attention to trailhead signs that may provide information about recent bear activity.

 

What To Do If You Encounter A Bear

Grizzly Bears and Black Bears

Both grizzly bears and black bears have been involved in defensive and non-defensive attacks. Recent research suggests that your response to a bear encounter should be based on the bear's behavior, not on the species of bear. Deescalate the situation: If the bear is agitated and its energy is high, you should have low energy. If the bear is acting timid and slowly approaching you or interested in your food, this curious behavior should be met with aggression. Your energy should be the opposite of the bear’s energy.

 

Is The Bear Aware Of You?

• If you see a bear and it seems unaware of your presence: Keep it that way. Quietly leave the area as soon as possible.
• If the bear is aware of you: Identify yourself as a human. Do not run! Bears standing on their hind legs are not threatening you; they are merely trying to identify you. If the bear is not approaching you, increase your distance. If the bear slowly approaches you, stand your ground by lifting your hands above your head and grouping together if you are with others.

 

Defensive Bear Encounters

Defensive behavior occurs when a bear’s threshold of comfort has been exceeded. This typically occurs when bears are surprised, protecting cubs, or defending a food source. Defensive bears want to neutralize a threat, so they may charge or attack.

In a defensive attack, a bear will approach you in an explosive manner, running hard with their ears back and head low. They are telling you they feel uncomfortable. Your goal is to let them know you are not a threat by deescalating the situation. If a bear charges, do not run. Talk to the bear calmly. Be ready to use bear spray.

If a defensive bear makes contact, fall to the ground and play dead. Try to remain quiet and do not fight back. Lay on your stomach and protect your vital areas of head and neck by clasping your hands behind your head/neck. Remain motionless until you are certain the bear has left.

Non-Defensive Bear Encounters

Non-defensive encounters occur when a bear is curious, seeking your food, testing its dominance, or rarely, sees you as possible prey. Unlike a defensive bear, a curious bear will often approach slowly in a cautious manner and may look away when you look in their direction. They may flank you or act uninterested to try and get closer. Food-conditioned bears may be bolder and try to push people away from a picnic table or other food source.

In any non-defensive encounter, be loud and intimidating. Let the bear know you are not worth investigating. Do not drop your pack or abandon food. If the bear is within range, use bear spray to persuade it to leave.

If a non-defensive bear makes contact or attacks, be as intimidating as possible. Fight back with everything you have. Be loud and bold.

 

Food Storage Regulations

Most human-bear conflicts are caused by bears seeking and/or obtaining human food, trash, or other attractants. Bears that consume human food may become food conditioned, leading to destructive and potentially dangerous behavior. Fortunately, properly securing food and trash eliminates most problems before they occur. In Denali, bear resistant food storage and trash containers are available throughout the park. Help us keep visitors and bears safe by following food storage regulations.

Frontcountry

Whether you are visiting for the day or staying at a campground, you will have plenty of options to dispose of trash or other waste. Use the bear resistant trash containers at visitor centers, rest areas, parking lots, and other convenient locations. If you bring food into the park, never leave it unattended, even for a short time. Bears and other animals can quickly take advantage of an easy meal. Campers staying in one of the park’s campgrounds must store unattended food, trash, pet food, and scented items in a locker or hard-sided vehicle or camper.

Backcountry

All backcountry users are required to store food, trash, and other scented items in Bear Resistant Food Containers (BRFCs) in backcountry units 1–21 and 23–43. BRFCs are recommended for overnight camping in all other units. BRFCs are available from the Backcountry Information Center (BIC). Personally owned BRFCs may be used if they are a model approved by the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee. Read more about BRFCs and view the list of approved models.

Choose campsites in areas with good visibility, allowing you to see approaching bears and bears to see you. Campsites, cooking areas, and food storage areas should be separated by at least 100 yards. Do not sleep with food or other scented items in your tent. If a bear approaches your camp, get your bear spray. Attempt to scare the bear away by yelling or making other loud noises (e.g., banging pots and pans, using an airhorn), and ensure your food is inside the BRFC. If a bear investigates or tries to enter your tent, make noise, fight back, and be prepared to use your bear spray.

 

Other Wildlife Safety Topics

• 

  Using Bear Spray

  Bear spray is strongly encouraged for all hikers in Denali. Learn how, when, and where to use bear spray.

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  Bear Resistant Food Containers

  A list of the types of Bear Resistant Food Containers (BRFCs) that are approved for use in Denali.

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  Wildlife Safety

  Keep wildlife wild and never feed or harass wildlife. Stay 300 yards from bears and 25 yards from other animals at all times.