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Bear Facts
The Essentials od Traveling in Bear Country
Begegnungen mit Bären in freier Wildbahn
Verhalten im Bärenland
Das wichtigste ist immer , RUHE BEWAHREN
Schwarz und Braunbären
Wenn ein Bär noch etwas entfernt von einem ist, dann sollte man ihn als erstes auf sich selbst aufmerksam machen.
In der Regel verläuft so eine Begegnung ohne jegliche Zwischenfälle.
Um dem Bären die eigene Präsenz zu signalisieren, einfach beide Hände über dem Kopf schwenken und je nach Entfernung laut und ruhig auf den Bären einreden. Seit ihr mehrere Personen ist es wirkungsvoller, wenn ihr euch nebeneinander aufstellt, damit seht ihr für den Bären größer aus!. Der Bär wird euch bemerken und die Flucht ergreifen oder aber weiter unbeeindruckt seiner Tätigkeit nachgehen. Bleibt er hingegen ruhig stehen und blockiert euren Weg, so solltet ihr besser langsam zurückgehen oder einen weiten Bogen um ihn machen.
Ist der Bär schon in unmittelbarer Umgebung und hat euch bemerkt, weicht aber nicht zurück, so dürft ihr auf gar keinen Fall weg rennen. Dies ist der größte Fehler, den ihr in dieser Situation begehen könnt, da der Bär durch seinen Jagdinstinkt sofort die Verfolgung aufnehmen würde. Auf keinen Fall andere Tiere imitieren wie z.B. Pfeifen, sondern ruhig in normaler Stimmlage auf den Bären einreden. Mit den Armen im weiten Bogen über den eigenen Kopf schwenken ist auch eine gute Idee.
Damit wird eine Verwechslungsgefahr mit einem anderen Tier ausgeschlossen.
Das Bären schlecht sehen ist ein Trugschluss, nach neuesten Erkenntnissen können Bären sehr wohl gut sehen,(vergleichbar mit uns Menschen) sie verlassen sich aber mehr auf ihren Geruchssinn. Ihr solltet vermeiden den Bären direkt in die Augen sehen,(das würde er als aggressives Verhalten interpretieren..) . Bitte keine schnellen Bewegungen machen oder auch nur andeuten, sondern langsam entfernen .
Wenn der Bär folgt, stehen bleiben.(wie die Alaskaner immer sagen stay your ground!) Und mit ruhiger und fester Stimme auf ihn beruhigend einreden. Stellt der Bär sich auf die Hinterbeine ist das keine Bedrohung euch gegenüber sondern er verschafft er sich damit lediglich einen besseren Überblick über die aktuelle Situation!
Setzt der Bär dann doch zu einem Angriff an und kommt auf euch zu gerannt, so ist das in 99 % der Fällen nur ein Scheinangriff. Das ist kein Spass aber ihr dürft dann unter keinen Umständen weg rennen. Der Bär wird kurz vor euch zum stehen kommen und euch eventuell seine Breitseite zeigen. Das ist nur ein Zeichen das er euch zeigen will das er der Boss ist! Wenn er anfängt zu wuffen und das Maul auf und zu zu klappen dann ist es ein Zeichen von höchster Anspannung und Stress des Bären !
(manchmal hat er auch Schaum vor dem Mund!)
Um einen näher kommenden Bären von Euch abzulenken, könnt ihr auch einen Gegenstand fallen lassen (z.B.den Rucksack) und euch dann langsam entfernen. Der Bär bleibt dann möglicherweise stehen, um sich den Gegenstand näher anzusehen und verliert so eventuell sein Interesse an euch...
Eine Dose Pfefferspray , mit zu haben ist auch eine gute Idee, jedoch ist darauf zu achten von welcher Richtung der Wind kommt, also das kein Wind von vorne weht, denn sonst setzt ihr euch selbst außer Gefecht wenn das Spray in eure Augen bläst....Nach einem gezielten Treffer ist der Bär hoffentlich erst mal eine Weile mit sich selbst beschäftigt.
Da würde ich mich aber nicht drauf verlassen!
Die Dosen gibt es in einigen unterschiedlichen Größen. Mann sollte sie auf jeden Fall griffbereit am Mann/Frau tragen. Ein 100% Schutz sind diese Pfefferdosen aber auf keinen Fall. Auch solltet ihr die Dosen nach dem Kauf einmal kurz testen, denn es ist schon einige male vorgekommen das sie gar nicht funktionierten.....(Uuuuppppsssss....)
Eine große Bärenspraydose sollte etwa für 9 Sekunden reichen, verlassen würde ich mich aber auch darauf nicht...
Der Schwarzbär
Im Unterschied zum Grizzly ist der Schwarzbär etwas kleiner und besitzt keine ausgeprägte Erhöhung/Höcker über den Schultern.
Sein Fell ist meistens schwarz, kann allerdings auch braun oder gar weiß/gelb sein.
Ihr solltet also weniger auf die Farbe, sondern auf die Figur des Bären achten.
Wenn ein Schwarzbär angreift, kann er sehr gut eingeschüchtert werden z.B. in dem ihr ihn laut anschreit.
Setzt euch unter allen Umständen gegen einen Schwarzbären zur Wehr!
Denn im Gegensatz zum Grizzly wird er versuchen Euch sofort zu fressen wenn er Angreift.
In die so genannte Fötus Stellung zu gegen ist bei einem Schwarzbär fatal !!!
Nehmt einem starken Ast/Knüppel. Visiert seine Nase oder Augen an und schlagt mit aller Kraft zu. Ich weiß das ist nicht schön aber es wirkt sofort, habe ich schon einge male ausprobieren müssen......
Es ist nicht ratsam zu versuchen auf einen Baum zu flüchten, denn der Schwarzbär ist ein hervorragender und flinker Kletterer!
Der Braunbär, Grizzly
Der Grizzly ist gefährlicher als ein Schwarzbär.
Sein Fell ist normalerweise braun, kann aber auch hellblond oder sogar schwarz sein.
Ein sicheres Merkmal sind die über seinen Schultern ausgeprägten Muskeln.
Gut genährte Grizzlys können bis zu 700 kg wiegen!
Der Grizzly hat viel längere Klauen als ein Schwarzbär.
(Eine sehr böse Waffe)
Wenn ein Grizzly angreift, unter keinen Umständen zurückschlagen.
Die einzigste Chance die ihr bei einem Grizzly Angriff habt ist euch auf den Boden zu werfen und in der Fötus Stellung euch tot zu stellen.
Dabei die Knie und Ellenbogen zum Bauch anziehen(damit schützt ihr eure Weichteile) und mit den Händen das Gesicht schützen.Wenn möglich den Rucksack anbehalten.
In dieser Position regungslos und still verharren, bis ihr ABSOLUT sicher seid, dass der Bär sich zurückgezogen hat.
Grizzlys verscharren sehr gerne ihre Beute !!!
Sich auf einem Baum zu retten ist eine Möglichkeit, jedoch können Grizzlys sehr wohl klettern. Außerdem sind sie sehr, sehr schnell.
In Alaska sind sie mitunter auch sehr groß...
Wenn sie sich an einen Baum stellen kann das schnell mal 3,50 Meter sein. So hoch muss man in so einer Situation erst mal klettern....
Wenn sich etwas an schleicht...
Es passiert zum Glück äußerst selten, dass ein Bär sich an Menschen heranpirscht.
Sollte er es dennoch tun so besteht äußerste Lebensgefahr.
Denn dass bedeutet das der Bär auf Beutezug ist und diese Beute seid dann ihr. Wenn ihr sicher seit dass der Bär hinter euch her ist, dann versucht um jeden Preis zu entkommen !
In so einer Situation ist alles zur eigenen Verteidigung erlaubt, Schlagen, Schreien, Schießen und Stechen inbegriffen.
Lasst den Bären
unter allen Umständenmerken, dass ihr
keine einfache Beuteseid...
Wenn ihr Glück habt dann ist ihm das nicht geheuer und er verzieht sich...
Mir ist es schon am Yukon River auf einer Insel passiert das ein Bär hinter mir genau in meine Fußspuren getreten ist...
Erst auf dem Rückweg habe ich das bemerkt. Bären sind sehr gute und sehr leise Jäger.
Ich hatte Glück, er hat aus irgend einem Grund das Interesse an mir verloren, kam aber in der Nacht an mein Zelt...
Das Thema Waffen
Natürlich könnt ihr eine Waffe zur Verteidigung mit in den Busch nehmen.
Das mache ich auf fast jeder meiner Reisen.
(bitte die Gesetzeslage beachten!)
Lieber eine Waffe dabei haben und nicht gebrauchen als eine zu brauchen und keine zu haben! Das ist meine persönliche Meinung
Es bleibt jedem selbst überlassen ob er eine Waffe trägt oder nicht, jeden anzugreifen / zu verurteilen der eine dabei hat ist schlichtweg dumm und arrogant!
Wenn ihr jedoch eine Waffe mit in den Busch nehmt dann solltet ihr auch in der Lage sein damit 150% umzugehen.
Nichts ist schlimmer als eine geladene Waffe in der hand eines absoluten Laien !
Die Wahrscheinlichkeit ist sehr groß das er sich selbst damit gefährdet und andere.
Auch wenn ihr mit Waffen umgehen könnt ist es kein 100% Schutz, denn eine Waffe mit zuführen ist nicht gleich sie auch richtig einzusetzen...
Ihr müsst in einem Bruchteil einer Sekunde entscheiden ob und wie ihr sie einsetzt.
Solltet ihr den Bären verletzen dann seit nicht nur ihr selbst in EXTREM großer Gefahr sondern auch alle anderen Menschen in diesem Gebiet!!!
Jagen will gelernt sein, das ist nichts für Anfänger, selbst gestandene Jäger reagieren falsch auf einen plötzlichen Angriff eines Bären!
Es passiert leider auch immer wieder das Bären erschossen werden obwohl sie noch weit vom Camp entfernt waren, nur weil der Besitzer einfach zu viel Schiss hatte...
Also, bitte nur eine Waffe
mitführen wenn ihr sie auch100% bedienen könnt !
Bei Einsatz einer Pumpgun sollte man über Gummigeschosse als Alternative nachdenken, denn damit tötet man den Bären nicht, sondern vertreibt ihn nur, wenn auch auf die schmerzhafte Weise !
Der Bärenzaun !
Elektro Bärenzaun, immer gut dabei zu haben, damit schläft man gerade im Bush wesentlich besser. Außerdem ist das Camp bei Abwesenheit gesichert. Wäre nicht das erste mal das ein Bär im Camp war während der Besitzer zum hiken im Bush war. Ich setze nun ein Modell aus Deutschland ein von der Firma www.weidezaun.info
Der URSACK
Auch eine super Sache ist es einen bärenfesten URSACK einzupacken! Diese Säcke sind leicht und unzerstörbar. Auch ein Bär schafft es damit nicht an Eure Lebensmittel zu kommen.
Video vom URSACK im Einsatz
Der Hermetic Carrier
Eine ander gute Idee ist ein Hermetic-Carrier von Volker Lapp.
2008 wurde damit ein Bärentest im Frankfurter Zoo unternommen !Der Hermetic-Carrier wurde mit Honig versehen(innen und außen) und nacheinander von vier Bären"bearbeitet".
Die Bären schafften es nicht an den Inhalt zu gelangen !
Bärenspray
Es ist immer eine gute Idee Bärenspray mitzunehmen, jedoch würde ich mich nicht allein daruf verlassen, sondern es nur in Kombination mit URSACK und Bärenzaun einsetzen !
Ich habe schon einige male so ein Spray eingesetzt, Problem ist das man in bruchteilen einer Sekunde wissen muss wo kommt der Wind her, denn gegen den Wind sprayt man sich selbst ein...
Auch wirkt so ein Spray nicht immer 100%.....
Unbedingt auf das Verfallsdatum der Dose achten und testen ob es überhaupt funktioniert, manche Dosen machen nur schhhhhhh und nichts kommt ....
Also...
In 21 Jahren in denen ich für Monate im Busch von Alaska und Kanada unterwegs wahr, habe ich nur zwei ernste Begegnungen mit Bären gehabt.
99% meiner Begegnungen mit Bären waren aber einfach nur schön und faszinierend.
Es ist immer wieder toll Bären in freier Wildbahn zu beobachten.
Bären sind aber keine Kuscheltiere !
Es gibt aber den 1% Bären der immer wieder Menschen tötet !
Für so einen Bären sollte man aber vorbereitet sein !
Deswegen:
1.Haltet Abstand von den Bären, besonders beim fotografieren, benutzt starke Teleobjektive!
2.Nehmt kein Essen oder stark riechende Sachen (auch Kleidung!) mit in das Zelt. (Zahnpasta, Kaugummi, Seife ect...)
3.Frauen an ihren speziellen Tagen sollten peinlichst auf Sauberkeit achten !
4.Kocht nicht am oder gar im Zelt.
5.Deponiert die Lebensmittel etwas entfernt vom Zelt, aber in Sichtweite.
6.Geht nicht vor eurem Camp angeln. Nehmt die Fische weit entfernt von eurem Camp aus!
7.Seit sehr vorsichtig an Flussmündungen.
8.Benutzt einen Bären / Elektrozaun.
9.Habt wenn immer möglich ein Bärenspray am Mann/Frau. Besonders wenn die Natur ruft!
(Wenn ihr auf die Toilette geht!)
10.Wenn ihr im Busch wandert seit laut, macht Geräusche damit Bären euch früh genug hören und die Möglichkeit haben euch aus dem Weg zu gehen.
(denn das werden sie in 99% der Fälle," wenn sie euch hören ! ")
11.Vermeidet Camps mit frischen Bärenspuren.
12.Campt nicht auf Wildwechseln,
Zu guter Letzt:
Relax, be COOOLLLLL
Die Wahrscheinlichkeit von einem Blitz getroffen zu werden ist höher als die von einem Bären gefressen zu werden !
Interesting Grizzly Facts
While black bears evolved in forested areas, with plenty of cover and trees to climb in case of danger, grizzlies traditionally lived in open spaces, making them less likely to flee and more likely to defend themselves by acting aggressively.
Habitat Type:
Grizzly bears probably evolved in open tundra areas but now can be found as well in temperate rain forest habitats and even in open grasslands. They can be found at varying elevations from well above timber or shrub lines to river valleys far below.
Range:
Within the United States, grizzlies are currently found in the mountain regions of Wyoming, Montana, Idaho and Washington near the border with British Columbia. They are found throughout western Canada and in Alaska
Diet: Bears can eat everything people can eat and more. In interior areas more than 75 percent of their diet is vegetable matter (grass, roots, and berries) and the rest is animal matter. They eat ground squirrels, fish and insects. When they can catch them, grizzlies eat even large animals like deer, elk, moose and bison. Most commonly, however, they can only catch the newborn young of these large species.
Cubs:
In January, while hibernating within their dens, between one and five cubs are born to their mothers. Most often, two cubs are born. At birth, the cubs weigh less than a pound, but they quickly put on weight and emerge from their dens in the spring weighing 10- 20 pounds. These newborns face a perilous first year; more than 50 percent of the cubs may die during this period from accidents, starvation, disease, predation and infanticide. Young grizzly cubs do their best to stay close by mother's side. If a cub accidentally gets lost, it may cry and bawl in a loud, harsh voice until its mother comes. Grizzly bear cubs have short front claws and can climb trees, unlike adults with their long front claws. Most female grizzlies are attentive parents, who tend and "discipline" their offspring and are willing, if necessary, to defend them to the death. A mother will care for her cubs typically for 2.5 years before sending them off to fend for themselves. Males do not help to care for the cubs they father.
Summer Lifestyle:
Male grizzlies leave their dens in March or April but females don't leave their dens until 3-5 weeks later. Females with newborn cubs are the last to leave their dens. The exact emergence date is dependent on both climatic conditions, such as the amount of snow cover and the temperature, and physiological conditions such as the bear's age and amount of fat reserves. Once they emerge from dens, most grizzlies travel to lower elevations that have more abundant newly-emerging vegetation, carrion, and newborn hoofed animals like elk and moose. During the summer, adult bears may consume more than 50 pounds of food per day, when they can find it, and gain three to six pounds of fat each day as they replenish their depleted fat reserves and prepare for the following winter. Cubs feed from their mothers until sometime in the middle of their first summer but may continue to nurse occasionally into their second year
Hibernation:
Scientists thought bears weren't true hibernators because their body temperature and respiration rate don't drop drastically as some other hibernators. But modern physiologists believe bears do hibernate; they're just relatively light hibernators compared to other deep hibernating species like ground squirrels or bats.
Breeding:
Grizzly bears reach breeding maturity between four-and-a-half and five-and-a-half years, but where food is sparce, they may not reach sexual maturity until they are eight years old. The bears mate from May to July, with the peak mating time in mid-June. Embryos do not begin to develop, however, until the mother begins her winter hibernation. If the mother has not accumulated sufficient fat to sustain herself and the developing cubs, the embryo will not develop. Females typically have a new litter every three years.
Movement:
The grizzly swings its head back and forth when walking slowly, but when necessary it can lope as fast as a horse. Grizzly cubs can climb as nimbly as black bear cubs, but they lose their climbing ability during their second year when their front claws grow long.
Feeding:
The grizzly bear is active throughout the day and night. Omnivorous, the grizzly bear feeds on a wide variety of plant material, including roots, sprouts, leaves, berries and fungi, as well as fish, insects, large and small mammals and carrion. It is adept at catching fish with a swift snap of its huge jaws, and occasionally will pin a fish underwater with its forepaws, then thrust its head underwater to clasp the catch in its teeth. It digs insects from rotting logs or under boulders and small mammals from their burrows, sometimes tearing up much ground in the process. It caches the remains of larger mammals, such as elk, moose, or deer returning to the cache until all meat is consumed. When salmon migrate upstream to spawn, these normally solitary bears congregate along rivers and vicious fights may erupt among them. They establish dominance through size and threats, spacing themselves out, with the largest, most aggressive individuals taking the choicest stations for catching fish.During winter, a bear may lose from 15 to 27 percent of its pre-denning body weight.
Territories:
Male grizzlies range over areas of 600-1000 square miles. Females roam areas about a third as large. They can travel 20-40 miles a day if they are motivated to do so. Grizzlies do leave evidence of their presence. The most common grizzly signs are tracks, scats, dig sites, rubbing areas and day beds. Less common sites include marked trees, excavated dens and sites where large animals have been killed and cached.
Voice:
Bears are commonly silent. When the need arises, however, they communicate with grunts, growels, roars or squeals (especially cubs). Grizzlies communicate vocally with snorts, growles and roars as well as with body postures that indicate their size and status. They may popping sounds with their teeth.
Bear Behavior
Individuals who panic, run, or fight an aggressive grizzly bear usually end up with the worst injuries. Keep in mind though, that in most cases during a surprise encounter, grizzly bears will run or leave the area once they have become aware of your presence. ( 99.9 % )
Humans are NOT on the list of preferred food items for grizzly bears, and most bears want to avoid humans as much as possible.
One of the things that makes Alaska so special is that all three species of North American bears flourish here. There is a chance that you may be lucky enough to see a bear. But even if you don't you will never be far from one, because Alaska is bear country.Brown/grizzly bears are found from the islands of southeastern Alaska to the arctic. Black bears inhabit most of Alaska's forests. Polar bears frequent the pack ice and tundra of extreme northern and western Alaska.Bears are curious, intelligent and potentially dangerous animals, but undue fear of bears can endanger both bears and people. Many bears are killed each year by people who are afraid of them. Respecting bears and learning proper behavior in their territory will help so that if you encounter a bear, neither of you will suffer needlessly from the experience.
Most bears tend to avoid people. In most cases, if you give a bear the opportunity to do the right thing, it will. Many bears live in Alaska and many people enjoy the outdoors, but surprisingly few people even see bears. Only a tiny percentage of those few are ever threatened by a bear. There are more people dying of Moos attacks!
Most people who see a bear in the wild consider it the highlight of their trip. The presence of these majestic creatures is a reminder of how privileged we are to share some of the country's dwindling wilderness.
Bears and People
Bears Don't Like Surprises
If you are hiking through bear country, make your presence known - especially where the terrain or vegetation makes it hard to see. Make noise, sing, talk loudly or tie a bell to your pack. If possible, travel with a group. Groups are noisier and easier for bears to detect. Avoid thick brush. If you can't, try to walk with the wind at your back so your scent will warn bears of your presence. Contrary to popular belief, bears can see almost as well as people, but trust their noses much more than their eyes or ears. Always let bears know you are there.Bears, like humans, use trails and roads. Don't set up camp close to a trail they might use. Detour around areas where you see or smell carcasses of fish or animals, or see scavengers congregated. A bear's food may be there and if the bear is nearby, it may defend the cache aggressively.
Don't Crowd Bears !
Give bears plenty of room. Some bears are more tolerant than others, but every bear has a "personal space" - the distance within which a bear feels threatened. If you stray within that zone, a bear may react aggressively. When photographing bears, use long lenses; getting close for a great shot could put you inside the danger zone
If you see a bear like this through your 400mm photo lens, well that's whay to close....... And will be unsharp anyway, like mine......
Bears Are Always Looking For Food !
A Fed Bear Is A Dead Bear ...
By making food available to a bear, we train it to associate humans with food. Once a bear learns this association, it will become a nuisance and often must be killed. Bears have only about six months to build up fat reserves for their long winter hibernation. Don't let them learn human food or garbage is an easy meal. It is both foolish and illegal to feed bears, either on purpose or by leaving food or garbage that attracts them.Cook away from your tent. Store all food away from your campsite. Hang food out of reach of bears if possible. If no trees are available, store your food in airtight or specially designed bear-proof containers. Remember, pets and their food may also attract bears.Keep a clean camp. Wash your dishes. Avoid smelly food like bacon and smoked fish. Keep food smells off your clothing. Burn garbage completely in a hot fire and pack out the remains. Food and garbage are equally attractive to a bear so treat them with equal care. Burying garbage is a waste of time. Bears have keen noses and are great diggers.If a bear approaches while you are fishing, stop fishing. If you have a fish on your line, don't let it splash. If that's not possible, cut your line. If a bear learns it can obtain fish just by approaching fisherman, it will return for more.
Close Encounters: What to do ?
If you see a bear, avoid it if you can. Give the bear every opportunity to avoid you. If you do encounter a bear at close distance, remain calm. Attacks are rare. Chances are, you are not in danger. Most bears are interested only in protecting food, cubs or their "personal space." Once the threat is removed, they will move on. Remember the following:
Identify Yourself:
Let the bear know you are human. Talk to the bear in a normal voice. Wave your arms. Help the bear recognize you. If a bear cannot tell what you are, it may come closer or stand on its hind legs to get a better look or smell. A standing bear is usually curious, not threatening. You may try to back away slowly diagonally, but if the bear follows, stop and hold your ground.
Don't Run:
You can't outrun a bear. They have been clocked at speeds up to 35 mph, and like dogs, they will chase fleeing animals. Bears often make bluff charges, sometimes to within 10 feet of their adversary, without making contact. Continue waving your arms and talking to the bear. If the bear gets too close, raise your voice and be more aggressive. Bang pots and pans. Use noisemakers.
Never imitate bear sounds or make a high-pitched squeal.
If Attacked:
If a bear actually makes contact, surrender! Fall to the ground and play dead. Lie flat on your stomach, or curl up in a ball with your hands behind your neck. Typically, a bear will break off it's attack once it feels the threat has been eliminated. Remain motionless for as long as possible. If you move, and the bear sees or hears you, it may return and renew its attack. In rare instances, particularly with black bears, an attacking bear may perceive a person as food. If the bear continues biting you long after you assume a defensive posture, it likely is a predatory attack.
Fight back vigorously !
Protection
Firearms should "" never "" be used as the alternative to common-sense approaches to bear encounters.If you are inexperienced with a firearm in emergency situations, you are more likely to be injured by a gun than a bear.
It is illegal to carry firearms in some of Alaska's national parks, so check before you go.
But if you don't know your gun, your most likely kill your self !
Defensive aerosol sprays which contain capsaicin (red pepper extract) have been used with some success for protection against bears. These sprays may be effective at a range of 6-8 yards. If discharged upwind or in a vehicle, they can disable the user. Take appropriate precautions. If you carry a spray can, keep it handy and know how to use it.
In Summary:
- Avoid surprising bears at close distance, look for signs of bears and make plenty of noise.
- Avoid crowding bears; respect their "personal space."
- Avoid attracting bears through improper handling of food or garbage.
- Plan ahead, stay calm, identify yourself, don't run.
Do not let the thought of a bear attack scare you away from hiking. Thousands of people hike thousands of miles every year, and many of them see lots of bears without ever having a threatening encounter. Educate yourself about bear behavior, be prepared and enjoy those summer days of cloudless, blue skies.
In most cases, bears are not a threat, but they do deserve your respect and attention. When traveling in bear country, keep alert and enjoy the opportunity to see these magnificent animals in their natural habitat.
USGS CAUTIONS PROPER USE OF PEPPER SPRAY TO AVOID BEAR ATTACKS
Red pepper spray, commonly used by people in bear country to ward off aggressive bear attacks, may actually attract brown bears if used improperly, according to preliminary research by a wildlife ecologist at the USGS Alaska Science Center in Anchorage.
In research recently submitted for publication in the Wildlife Society Bulletin, USGS researcher Tom Smith emphasized that although the spray is a proven deterrent in some encounters with aggressive bears, red pepper spray is not a bear repellent when applied to objects such as tents, food containers, clothing or other personal belongings, "nor is it claimed to be by most manufacturers."
In fact, noted Smith, no pepper spray manufacturers normally suggest that the spray should be used preventively.
Although it is not presently known exactly what the attracting agent in the red pepper spray is, the irritant oleoresin capsicum is the only ingredient common to all the sprays tested.
Smith said that although research has shown that red pepper spray is highly effective as a deterrent in aggressive grizzly and brown bear encounters when sprayed directly in a bear's eyes or nose, his pilot study shows that spray residues did attract brown bears when used in nonaggressive situations.
Brown bear responses to red pepper spray-treated sites in his study ranged from mere sniffing to whole body rolling in the residues, an uncommon bear behavior.
The spray is often carried as a bear protection method by hikers, campers, biologists, rangers, hunters, and other outdoor enthusiasts.
The carrying of red pepper spray has been encouraged in some national parks where bears are common and firearms are prohibited.
Some state wildlife and game agencies have also been encouraging the carrying of the spray in bear habitats.
Smith's investigations have found that "instances of people inappropriately applying red pepper spray to objects in order to repel bears are not uncommon."
His research suggests that red pepper spray used in this manner may actually "promote" attraction to spray-treated sites or objects by brown bears. "If my study observations hold true elsewhere, then red pepper spray residues on the spray canisters, field gear, or on foliage near camps or other human high-use areas may provide sites of interest to brown bears and consequently risk human safety," Smith warned.
In back country areas where hikers and researchers may use the same location for extended times, continuing indiscriminate use of the spray could cumulatively create a potentially harmful situation for the next person who uses the campsite, Smith said.
"We are concerned that if red pepper spray is used in this inappropriate manner, it may attract bears, result in property damage, or a confrontation." The impetus for Smith's study came after he observed a brown bear rolling vigorously in beach gravel that had been inadvertently sprayed with red pepper spray five days previously.
A surprised Smith watched bears on their backs, paws skyward, vigorously rubbing their heads and back in the red pepper-sprayed gravel. Before this observation, Smith had never seen brown bears behave in such an unusual manner.
Smith noted that red pepper spray is a stable, weather-resistant compound that apparently does not lose its attractant, or irritant, properties quickly. This suggests "that even a single discharge has the potential to attract brown bears for a significant amount of time," he said. Smith's preliminary study involved spraying red pepper on gravels along the Kulik River in Katmai National Park and then observing brown bear responses to red pepper residues from a blind.
He recorded both normal and abnormal bear behavior at or near these study sites. In his pilot study, Smith said that brown bears approached the treated sites 40 times, with the spray eliciting interest more than 50 percent of the time and no response 40 percent of the time. However, Smith noted that in all instances where bears showed no response to the treated soils, strong winds were observed that may have "whisked the scent directly away from the bears, calling into question whether they could have scented the spray at all." Other unusual brown bear behavior Smith recorded on the sprayed sites included numerous instances of sniffing, pawing, licking, rubbing their heads in the soil, and rolling on the sites in a manner similar to cats rolling in catnip. Before this study, Smith had spent more than 750 hours observing brown bears at Kulik River.
"During that time," he said, "I had never seen bears rubbing their heads on the ground, pawing and licking soils, or rolling on their backs." These novel behaviors, said Smith, arise directly from exposure to red pepper spray-treated soils, and "hence my concern about indiscriminate or improper use of these sprays in bear country."
"In no cases," said Smith, "were bears seen to be deterred from, or actively avoiding, red pepper spray-treated sites. These observations," he added, "raise serious concerns regarding the appropriate use of red pepper spray and identify a need to educate users as to potentially harmful side effects of their indiscriminate use as a repellent agent."
Scent, of course, is what bears rely on most to locate food in their environment, which is why campers and other backwoods users are encouraged to carefully rid their tents and sleeping areas of articles that might smell, including toothpaste, food and soap. Unfortunately, said Smith, red pepper spray, besides being an effective deterrent when sprayed in a bear's face, is also essentially "scent in a can" that bears may be attracted to.
Smith urged that until further research is conducted, people who carry red pepper spray in bear country should not test-fire newly purchased red pepper spray near camps or other human high-use areas. As an additional precaution, Smith advises that once fired, the canisters should not be kept in or near the tents of sleeping persons because of the possibility that red pepper spray residues on canister nozzles may attract bears.
Smith's work has been reviewed by other bear biologists in the U.S. Department of the Interior and submitted for publication in the Wildlife Society Bulletin.
In addition, his observations have been anecdotally supported by other researchers in bear habitat.
Smith said USGS will conduct more research on red pepper spray and bears this year.
Smith's future research will focus on discovering just how attractive red pepper spray is to bears, the distance at which a bear can scent the red pepper spray, and if a bear might be attracted to a canister that has been fired and which has some spray residue on its exterior.
Smith's preliminary work showed that bears were picking the scent up from more than 75 meters away.
Protectig Your Camp From Bears
Electric Fencing
By Tom S. Smith, Ph.D.
Research Ecologist - Bears
USGS – Alaska Science Center
Alaska - The Last Frontier - is one of the most incredibly beautiful places on earth. Each year, many people work and recreate in its vast waters and wilderness. I've yet to meet a person, however, that didn't worry, or at least harbor some concerns, regarding bears and bear encounters. Bears exist in nearly every corner of the state and the extremely rare - yet highly publicized - bear maulings remind us just how wild Alaska can be. But bears should prevent no one from being out in the wilderness. What concerns some most, however, is camping. No one wants to be sound asleep in a tent when a curious bear pokes around camp. Nor is there any reason for bears to be able to approach your camp at night. Electric fencing, now lighter and more economical than ever, can dissuade curious bears from approaching your camp, thus allowing you to sleep safely... and soundly.
But does everyone using the backcountry need a fence?
I recommend that electric fencing be used primarily for the following situations:
1) long-term field camps (such as used by state and federal agencies to conduct management and research functions),
2) for hunting camps where game meat and trophies (e.g., hides, horns, etc.) may be stored,
3) in locations where bear numbers are known to be high (e.g., Kodiak Island, Alaska Peninsula, etc.), and
4) where problem bears have been known to frequent. One might also justify fencing if its deployment is the only way persons fearful of camping in bear country will go.
The bottom line is that the use of electric fencing is up to the user but no bear experts will suggest it should be used by everyone.
The vast majority of campers in Alaska have no serious bear problems nor should they have to suddenly be worrying about carrying and using a fence.
I wouldn't think to use a fence in a place like Denali National Park...
the bear numbers are too few and generally bear-human incidents rare.
On the other hand, if I was going to camp along coastal Katmai I wouldn't be without one. Sometimes people openly ask "are you that afraid of bears that you need a fence?"
I turn the question around, however, and ask "are you willing to allow a bear to determine when your trip is over? because that is precisely what will happen if you camp in some areas where bear numbers are high.
" Look at it this way as well - when I deploy a field camp with upwards of 6-10 tents, a single, curious bear could destroy $4,000 to $5,000 of tents in as little as a half hour should everyone be out conducting research. Bears that destroy tents aren't being aggressive...they're just being...well, bears. They ask questions with their jaws and claws "what's this?" crunch. "what's this" smack.
A little Q&A session like that can reduce my field camp to ruin in minutes, putting me out of business. Worse, the bear may get some sort of reward by probing around like that.
All around it is bad business to leave gear unattended in bear country. Yet we often have to do it to get our work done.
So I use electric fencing which not only protects my gear but also teaches bears (when they put their nose to the fence) that this place is to be avoided... "Don't come near camps!" is the message powerfully conveyed when a bear gets 5 kilovolts across its nose.
As bear trainer Doug Seuss once said "you don't have to teach a bear something twice.
" In this regard, as long as their are going to be camps in bear country, we need to take a pro-active stance in preventing camp destruction and by training bears to avoid them.
For years the term "electric fence" was synonymous with images of 40-pound chargers, snarls of steel wire, heavy poles, car batteries and heavy steel grounding rods.
But recent technological advances have resulted in lightweight, economical, electric fence systems that one should seriously consider purchasing and using. Recently, I camped in an area with a lot of bears.... they were everywhere.
Before turning in for the night I counted 35 brown bears in a meadow near camp. It wasn't a matter of if, but when a bear would come poking around camp. Deploying an electric fence around my tent took about 20 minutes. The weight of the entire system (poles, wire, charger, grounding rods) was less than 10 pounds. No, I didn't backpack it into the wilderness.... I'd come by floatplane.
And no, the fence wasn't expensive: the entire setup cost less than $100. I didn't worry about curious bears destroying my $600 tent or other gear while I was out and about, and I enjoyed 10 uneventful nights of restful sleep.
I am continually amazed at the number of cabins, camps, boat and watercraft that are needlessly destroyed by bears each year. Nothing is 100% effective but so far in the past ten years I've camped amongst the densest grizzly populations in the world, I've not had a single bear breach the fence.
Not that they haven't tried. A couple years ago 5 bears - and one wolf - were deterred by the camp's electric fence during a single 2-week outing.
I also used a perimeter alarm system in conjunction with the fence (the alarm is a separate system and I won't discuss it here), so when the alarm went off I knew that a bear had been trying to push through the fence.
In a word:
electric fences work. There are many ways to set up electric fences, but for most short-term field camp operations an easily deployed, lightweight fence will be adequate.
Let's explore a few basic principles about electric fences.
How do electric fences work ?
Electric fences are comprised of three basic components: Wires suspended on poles carry an electric charge. This is the "hot," aboveground part of the system. An energizer (also known as a charger) pushes power through the fence wire. For safety, most systems deliver power in a series of pulses, usually about one per second. The downtime between pulses allows animals to brek free of the fence (a continuous current can cause an animal to "lock on" to the fence due to sustained, involuntary muscular contractions). A grounding system, usually a metal rod sunk into the earth and connected to the energizer via a wire. The ground system attracts the charge through the animal and returns the current to the energizer through the ground wire. Since electricity will only travel through a closed circuit, the fence wire, energizer and ground rod are three parts of a circuit waiting to be closed; when a bear touches the wire, it closes the circuit, and electrical current flows through the bear. Consequently, the bear will feel a shock, really rather a sharp jolt of electricity, which strongly discourages him from touching the fence again. Most bears I've witnessed getting shocked cannot put enough distance between themselves and the fence fast enough. The strength of the shock depends on the energizer's voltage and amperage: Voltage, measured in volts (V) or kilovolts (kV), is the force or pressure with which a current flows through the circuit. The higher the voltage, the farther the current can travel through the wire before resistance slows it down; higher voltage also causes a stronger "zap" from the shock. Amperage (amps) measures the magnitude, or strength, of the current flowing through the wire. The higher the amperage, the greater the sensation the current will cause when it enters a body. Consequently, fence chargers are high voltage and extremely low amperage. Although bears are the intended targets of electric fences, anything else that comes in contact with both fence and ground will also complete the circuit. Blades of grass and tree branches will allow a small amount of power to travel from the fence to the ground rod and you should make an effort to keep the fence clear of these power-sappers. A bear may still get a jolt from a fence with some grass leaning up against it but too many grasses can literally short the fence out, rendering it useless. When I set up a camp with boat or plane access I toss a pair of grass clippers in just for the purpose of clearing the fence line.
Do electric fences pose a threat to bears or people?
The current (amperage) flowing through a fence is miniscule and will not injure you or bears. The voltage, however, is high (5-7 kV) and can knock you down due to the involuntary contraction of your muscles from the jolt of electricity. For safety considerations, chargers (or energizers as they are also called) send the charge in pulses, usually one per second. This allows the bear to break free of the fence. The sting a bear, or person, feels when they touch an electric fence isn't particularly painful but it is unpleasant to the point that it deters future investigation.
How effective are electric fences for deterring curious bears?
Remember, most bears that approach your camp or gear are curious, but alert, as they approach. Once the bear gets jolted it will usually huff, bawl and run quickly away. Over the past decade I have tested many fences in many settings - all of them thick with bears - and have never had an electric fence fail to keep bears out.
How sturdy does the fence have to be?
My experience has shown that you don't need to build a concentration camp-style enclosure. Whether you have 10 wires supported by wooden posts or 2 wires on thin fiberglass wands, the shock is the same strength and it is the shock that deters the bear, not the fence's appearance. I believe that misunderstandings regarding the need for elaborate and stoutly constructed fences have arisen from the fact that there is a big difference between trying to keep livestock in an enclosure and in keeping a bear out. To the best of my knowledge bears cannot jump like a quarter horse (or at least they don't, thank heavens) and so the fence need not be very high. Also, once a bear gets zapped they don't loiter around. The key, then, is to present a charged wire in such a way that a curious bear will nudge it with his nose. The resultant "zap!" on his nose will convince him that there are many other things he'd rather be doing ... elsewhere... right now. Therefore, 2 wires have worked well for me. When using 2 wires I string one about a foot high and the other 3 feet high. I flag the top wire with a small piece of fluorescent flagging midway between poles to encourage the curious bear to nose it, perhaps even bite it, and that takes care of his curiosity. Flagging also keeps bears from walking into an otherwise invisible wire which the bear can easily break.
What are the basic components I'll need for a lightweight, portable fence?
I've put together a table of components that will allow you to build a functional, yet lightweight, fence (see below). You can modify this a number of ways, depending on your ingenuity. For instance, on a recent outing I carried only a palm-sized charger that was powered by 2 D cell batteries (it supposedly will run 2 months on 2 batteries!), a roll of flexible fence wire (plastic polywire that shocks because it has 9 strands of stainless steel wire winding through it), a handful of the plastic zip strips in place of fiberglass poles, some connecting wire to run from the charger to fence and charger to ground, and 2 aluminum tent pegs as ground rods. This set up was very light and worked well. I carried a fence charge tester and it showed that I was getting a solid 4 kV to 5 kV of charge in the wire. I used existing alder bushes for my poles and kept the polywire from grounding out on them by using zip strips. The zip strip went around a sturdy branch through which the taut polywire was strung. The tension of the polywire kept it away from the branch and the non-conducting zip strip held it in place. The system worked well and I'd dumped the weight of the poles. The only downside was that zip strips cannot be reused - you have to cut them off. If you are very patient and good with a knife you can back a zip strip open but it is not time effective. Also, I did not carry the typical steel grounding rod. I've found that as small as tent camp enclosures are, a couple of aluminum stakes driven into the soil to which the charger is grounded works well. Remember that you're only trying to energize a couple hundred feet of wire - not miles - and hence don't need a heavy grounding rod. You can always test this out for yourself by putting a voltmeter (made especially for fences - a typical voltage 'multimeter' will get fried by this voltage) to test how small of a ground rod you can get by with. The connecting wires I use are automobile sparkplug wires with alligator clips on the ends. Hence, there is no need for to ground the charger to the heavy grounding rods, such as ranchers do.
Fence Components
Item QUANTITY / APPROXIMATE COST
Energizer-charger unit** 1 $40-$120
Connection wires (brownwithalligatorclips) 2 $6
electric fence wire 1 roll (500 feet) $5
Electric fence tester 1 $15 Aluminum stakes (for corner anchors) 8 $10
Fiberglas fence posts 20 $15
2 piece galvanized ground rod OR aluminum stakes 1 $6
Also include some fluorescent survey flagging, pieces of nylon cordage for corner post anchors, and a roll of duct tape for securing the posts and ground rod after you complete your use.
**A solar-powered charger will run $120; the battery-powered Pel ® micro charger (about $80) or the Fi-Shock battery-powered unit (model SS-2D) costs $39.00. Both of these latter units are labeled as use "for pets" but you need to remember that curious bears are easily repelled by an electric shock...that's my experience thus far so the heavier "livestock grade" units have been unnecessary.
How much fence wire will I need?
How much wire you will need is entirely dependent upon how large of an enclosure you wish to set up and how many strands of wire go around it. You may recall that the circumference of a circle is equal to the diameter times 3.14. Let's say that you have a single tent and don't want bears to get any closer than 30 feet. If the tent were in the center of a circular fence that is 60 feet across, you would need:
diameter X PI X number of strands of wire
or in this example:
(60 feet)x(3.14)x(2) = 377 feet of wire
That is not a lot of wire, especially if you use the stranded polywire. I should mention why I prefer polywire over steel, or aluminum, wire. Stranded polywire has little or no "memory" and is lightweight. By memory, I mean that it doesn't act like a stretched out Slinky when strung between posts. It acts more like kite string, simply hanging there.
What about insulators for the posts?
I don't use them. We used to haul little screw-on insulators everywhere but found that they really didn't do much. You can sidestep them entirely by putting a couple tight wraps of the fence wire around the post. If that isn't secure enough use a small piece of duct tape to hold the wire in place. Even better - a few companies sell notched posts that hold the wire in place. Inventive persons could notch their own posts by simply grinding 2 small grooves into the fiberglass pole...
I generally anchor the corner posts (assuming you've set up a rectangular enclosure) by either tying off on shrubs or by setting 2 stakes at right angles and anchoring to them. This puts some tension into the fence and keeps it from sagging.
What about getting in and out of the fence enclosure?
You can fool around with gate systems but for short-term deployments it isn't worth the weight and hassle. You can solve the in/out dilemma a number of ways:
1) set one of the top wires just low enough that will a bit of effort you can tip toe over it
2) place the fence such that a natural object (rock or rise in the earth) makes it easy to step upon to get over it
3) place a rock or piece of wood such that you can use it as a stepping stone to get up over the top strand
4) place the charger close enough so that you can reach through the fence (from outside), switch it off, then simply step over by depressing the taunt top wire.
Any other advice regarding fences?
- I would check the fence at least once daily to make sure it is working. I carry a voltage tester made for fences. The cheapest I've found is a very lightweight $3 unit that simply says that the fence is 'hot'. The more expensive models (~$30) actually read off the kilovolt measurement. Those too are fairly lightweight.
- Place the charger inside the enclosure. Bears notice novel objects and if it is outside of the fence it may get munched.
- Use common sense in bear country. Don't camp along high use areas - even if you have a fence. Give bears a chance.
Eyes of the Bear: Bears See Well, But Trust Noses More !
(c) Text by Riley Woodford
There are a lot of misconceptions about bears. “Grizzly bears can’t climb trees,” or “bears can’t run downhill” – both untrue !
One common misconception is that bears have poor eyesight.
The reasons behind this misconception are understandable, but evidence indicates that bears’ eyesight is comparable to ours.
“From my experience bears can see very well at a distance, at least as well as humans,” said biologist Harry Reynolds.
Reynolds is a bear biologist for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game in Fairbanks and serves as president of the International Association for Bear Research and Management. He’s worked with bears for 45 years. Reynolds and another biologist once observed a large adult male grizzly that had killed and was eating a 2-year-old grizzly in the western Brooks Range.
“It was late September and the ground was snow-covered when we peeked just our heads above a ridge that was a quarter-mile distant from the bears,” he said. “The adult male immediately stopped what he was doing, stared our direction, and ran – and kept on running until he was out of sight.
If there was a wind it was only slight, and I don't recall it being at our backs. We were very aware of bears’ extremely perceptive sense of smell, but from the evidence available to us at the time, it seemed most likely that the bear was alerted by its eyesight.
”Zookeeper Lee Huntsman operates a privately owned animal park just south of Cleveland, Ohio. He has 240 animals – 60 different species – including black bears and Syrian bears, a kind of Asian grizzly. He’s worked with 30 different bears over the past 10 years.
“We raise them from babies, and when they see a specific person, they react differently than they do to another person,” Huntsman said.
“They respond to the people that feed them, and not others. And it’s not that they see the feed bucket, they recognize the people.
They can see in detail. They have good vision, and I’d say they can recognize a specific person from 200 feet away.”
Huntsman said bears also see well in low light conditions. “I can go up at night and they can see me plainly;
I can tell because of the way they react. I definitely think they see well at night.”Like many animals, bears’ eyes have a reflective layer called the tapetum lucidum lining the back of the eyeball.
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 eyeshine when they are flashed with a light at night.
Polar bears have special adaptations that help them to see underwater. Like many other marine mammals, they have a clear inner “eyelid” called a nictitating membrane that protects their eyes and serves as a second lens when they are underwater.
John Hechtel has spent decades observing bears in the wild and studying behavior, hibernation, and bear and human interactions. A state biologist in Palmer, he’s worked with bears throughout Alaska and the Yukon. Hechtel emphasized that just like with people, there is variation among bears. “How many humans really have 20/20 eyesight?
There’s a tremendous variation, nearsighted or farsighted, and with increasing age, sensory abilities decrease in general. Eyesight tends to get worse, hearing is not so good any more, and it’s probably similar with animals,” he said.
“In general, their eyesight – for young healthy bears – tends to be pretty good.
There is a fair amount written about how poor their eyesight is, but I don’t think so.
”From his experiences, Hechtel has the impression that seeing silhouette and movement is an important part of bears’ distance vision. There isn’t a lot of research on the topic of bear vision, Hechtel said, and stories range from incidents where bears see extremely well to stories where bears seem nearly blind.
“For now, bear biologists tend to say that bears’ eyesight is similar to that of people. That doesn’t mean bears essentially see the way we do.
I suspect, in some ways they see better – night vision, for example, and in some ways maybe worse, like distant, non-moving objects. The point is that bears aren’t wandering around half-blind.
And they are much more focused on interpreting the world based on smell than sight.
”Hechtel said most misconceptions about bears are born of limited experience and assumptions.
A person will assume that because a bear didn’t respond to them, it didn’t know they were there.
That bear may have smelled the person – and saw them – long before the person was aware of the bear.
Bears see well, but seeing silhouette and movement is an important part of bears’ distance vision“A lot of times bears see things and don’t visibly react by standing up or fleeing,”
Hechtel said. “That doesn’t mean it didn’t see. People expect bears to react when they see something, and that’s not always the case.
”Biologists stress that by far, bears’ keenest sense is their sense of smell. Hechtel said even when a bear does get a good look at something, it still likes to test it with its nose.
Hechtel thinks that’s contributed to the misconception about bears’ eyesight. Bears are so well informed about their environment because of their sense of smell that they don’t appear to put much emphasis on their vision.
Bears trust their noses more than their eyes, just as humans trust their vision more than their sense of smell.
“We rely so much on our eyes,” said state game biologist Phil Mooney of Sitka. “I don’t think bears think like we do. They don’t think in terms of their eyes.
If you’re walking through grass flats and a bear stands up, it’s using all of its senses.
”Larry Aumiller is the manager of the McNeil River State Game Sanctuary. For 28 years, he’s spent summers with brown bears at the sanctuary, 180 miles southwest of Anchorage.
He recalled an incident one spring where a large adult male was following a female in estrus. Aumiller wrote:
“He was trying to keep up with her until she was receptive. She, not being quite ready, was trying to stay ahead of him.
This is called consorting, and eventually ends in mating when all parties are ready. The male typically puts his nose to the ground, and no matter what, follows her exact footsteps.
On this day her journey took her on a route that doubled back, bringing her to within 100 feet of the pursuing male. He glanced over at her, put his nose back to the ground and continued on her exact trail (scent) even though it took him several hundred yards out of his way.
This is a good example of a bear trusting his sense of smell more than his vision.
”In Aumiller’s experience, he thinks bears see on a par with humans up to about 120 yards, and beyond that their vision drops off.
He’s found it’s easy to stalk a bear at longer distances, especially if you are careful about using cover and disguising movement.
“You can approach a bear at distances that would never work with a prey species, for example a deer. This makes sense if you think about it, the “distance of concern” for a bear is considerably less than 100 yards.
Bears have evolved to be concerned only with - and react to - stimuli within their personal space, which varies of course (smaller for more dominate bears) but is generally about 100 to 200 yards.
This fits with being a predator as opposed to a prey species, as well as being the biggest, baddest guy on the block.”
“They can see very well at night, far better than humans,”
He added. “Remember the exception of course, the bear that spotted you at 400 yards, and the one you walked right up to in the open - and at 40 feet it finally did see you and came unglued.
But these are rare exceptions.”Hechtel said over time, our insights should get better as scientists address some of the unanswered questions regarding bear vision.
“Who knows exactly what bears are seeing,” Hechtel said.
“The exciting thing about studying bears is it’s a fairly new field. The span of intense bear study has just been a few decades.
There are still a lot of cool things to understand about bears.”
Feige Bären Jagd im Katmai eröffnet !
Einen Braunbären im Katmai Nat. Park zu schießen ist etwa so als ob man einen Kuh bei uns auf der Weide erlegt !
Die Bären sind seit langer Zeit an den Menschen dort gewöhnt!
Auszug aus dem Newsletter vom Tierrechtsverein Canis
You Tube - Video zeigt feigen Bärenmord in Alaska
Ein vierminütiges Internetvideo über die Bärenjagd sorgt für
Kontroversen. Gezeigt werden zwei Jäger und ein Jagdführer, die sich an
einen Grizzly heranschleichen, der keine Scheu vor Menschen zeigt.
Zuerst feuert der erste Jäger einen Pfeil auf das Tier ab, danach
erledigt der Guide die schwer verletzte Bärin. Der dritte Mann wird
später beim Häuten des Kadavers gesehen. Die ‚tapferen’ Waidmänner
feiern sich gegenseitig – in Sportlermanier – durch High-fives.
Das Ganze ereignete sich im Katmai Naturschutzgebiet in Alaska. Den
größten Teil des Jahres werden Bären dort von TouristInnen bestaunt,
weshalb die Tiere ihre Angst vor Menschen abgelegt haben. Auch gegenüber
AnglerInnen verhalten sie sich gelassen. Nur im Frühjahr und Herbst darf
in Katmai auch gejagt werden. Dann haben die schießwütigen Bärenkiller
natürlich leichtes Spiel.
Daniel Zatz, der die feige Tötung der Bärin auf Video festgehalten hat,
will dadurch aufzeigen, dass von „Jagdfairness“ nicht die Rede sein kann.
Zum Video: Bear hunting at Katmai National Park
Zum Video: Don't Let Them Shoot McNeil River Bears
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