What to do if you met a bear in the forest, and what not to do - an instruction for all cases. What to do if you meet a bear in the forest? Meeting with a bear consequences

20.10.2019

Stereotypes about Russia and bears did not appear out of nowhere. Of course, contrary to the firm conviction of our European and American comrades, the Bears we do not walk the streets and are not used on the farm. Maybe sometimes, but that's not the point. However, there is a risk of meeting this dangerous one, especially if you live in Siberia or even further. As, however, with our Canadian comrades. Therefore, it is extremely important to know how to minimize the risk from this dangerous meeting. So.

1. Don't run

The first thing to recommend. Bear, of course, not a purely predator, but an omnivorous animal, but it reacts naturally to a fleeing person - as to prey. And oh, how difficult it is to escape from him - 60 km per hour over rough terrain, swims perfectly, and in his youth he can also climb trees. So the chance of escaping is small. Unless you have a friend with you who runs more slowly ...

2. Make some noise

Most animals have a clear reflex: “Only those who have the right to make noise can make noise. Who is strong, dangerous, or too big to be easy prey. Therefore, when moving through the territory, which are found the Bears, try to make as much noise as possible - talk loudly, sing, break branches. As a rule, the toptygin does not want to be interested at all, and who is it making noise at 3 in the morning, so he will bypass you.

But "usually" does not mean "always". Small bear cubs will prefer to hide stupidly, according to the same reflexes. And here it is already necessary to be afraid of their mother, who absolutely does not care about noise, size and shots. That is, from January to March, when the cubs were just born, walk along wild forests especially dangerous.

Also paradoxically, young people can behave the Bears. They, on the contrary, may become very interested - and who is it making noise there? And I'll come and have a look. More precisely, I sniff, since my eyesight bears relatively weak. But it will be just curiosity, not open aggression.

Besides, bear almost never attacks a group of more than 4 people. So the more you are, the higher the chance that the animal stupidly bypasses you on the tenth road. But singles and couples are much worse.

3. Don't store food next to the tent

The only reason why bear can come up to a tent near which a fire is burning, it smells of smoke and a bunch of unfamiliar and strange smells - grub. The sense of smell of these animals is amazing, they can smell food through a backpack, a tent and for several kilometers. Not immediately, fortunately. Therefore, almost all tourists are strongly advised to carefully bury the leftovers, and as far as possible from the camp, this time. And two - to store their provisions in a separate backpack, which is hung at a height of 3-4 meters, somewhere 40 meters from the camp. So even if the beast comes, it will focus its attention on much tastier and safer targets. If it gets there, of course. Folk remedies"Odor beatings" such as kerosene and other muck are ineffective.

4. Assess the situation

Difficult moment, really. It is very difficult to assess intentions bear, if faced with him nose to nose. There are usually several typical scenarios:

The bear himself is in shock, but he is full and not aggressive. In this case, gently backing away from his field of vision is enough. And go around the tenth road, making noise and stating in every possible way: "I'm here, you saw me and you don't want to see me again."
The bear himself is shocked, but hungry, although not aggressive. In this case, you can "pay off" by leaving a backpack with grub or part of the grub to be torn to pieces by the beast. While the animal is busy with business, slowly back away. And then - all according to scenario 1.
The bear himself is shocked, but hungry and aggressive. This is perhaps the worst option, since the animal will attack. Or pretend to attack. It is useless to run away, as he will immediately realize that he is stronger. And then the hunting instincts, there's nothing to be done. You need to become visually taller, if there are several of you - rally in a big bunch or climb on top of each other. The animal's eyesight is poor, so if it sees something larger than itself, it may stop attacking and retreat. It is also desirable to make noise, waving over your head with everything you can. It is undesirable to look into the eyes at the same time - this can be perceived as a challenge. And you need to give the impression of a big and strong prey, which is simply risky to mess with. But it doesn't always help.

5. Defend/play dead

But this is a really difficult situation. Yes, bear you can scare with guns, flares, torches and other noisy, fiery and gunshot things. So yes, carrying pyrotechnics with you is a great idea, since all wild animals are afraid of smoke, fire and explosions. In addition, a special "anti-bear" pepper spray is produced in Canada. Which, yes, is effective, but no, only in 14 cases there are 15 of them. That is, one out of fifteen bears will not care about both a broken sense of smell and closed watery eyes. But it won't help you much. Plus all the usual problems associated with the use of pepper sprays - wind, distance, duration of use.

The method of "playing dead" personally in me causes not just distrust, but wild rejection. The fact is that bear- Pretty much a predator. Of course, he loves a little rotten meat more, but he does not disdain fresh meat either. And this means that nothing prevents him from "biting" a sudden dead person. Or poke him with hefty sharp claws. Or come. However, the method is officially recommended in the Canadian Tourist Guide. This means that the chance of surviving the "sudden dead" is still higher than that of the fugitive. Well, I don’t want to check, I’ll have to take my word for it.

6. Hope for good luck

Alas, the Bears are also different. normal wild adult bear does not feel the slightest desire to contact a person. It’s easy to scare him off, and he himself won’t come to you. Worse, if the bear is "baited", that is, it has repeatedly been near people and knows that they have food. These can be impudent, but they almost do not show aggression. Although they can pretty spoil the property.

Wounded and hungry bear- this is the first degree of pi ** tsa. He already does not care about the fear of smoke and people. Even the noise and dimensions of the "target" are of little concern to him. Here is the fire and flares - yes. And shots, too. Well, the worst option is a she-bear that protects cubs. She attacks not for food, but to kill a potential threat. And he stops at nothing. There is only fire to kill, and even then, on adrenaline, even deadly wounded bear can do things. In short, hope you get lucky.

"If a bear wants to eat you, he will eat you."

Of the large animals, the elephant, hippopotamus and bear are dangerous for humans. All three species are dangerous: brown, white and black American. Zoologist Mikhail Krechmar tells how to behave when meeting a bear. You can listen to the recorded lecture on our Youtube channel, and for those who prefer to read, we have prepared an article based on the lecture. The material will be useful to tourists, travelers, hunters, summer residents and everyone who has a rest or lives in the forest zone. Because where there is a forest, there is a bear.

Mikhail Krechmar

Russian zoologist, writer, documentary filmmaker and journalist. Member International Association for the study and protection of bears - studied brown bears for more than 20 years. Author scientific papers and monographs on the behavior and ecology of mammals, including the book The Furry God.

Conflicts between bears and humans are not uncommon. Often the outcome of such a conflict is the death of a person, and even more often - the death of an animal. To avoid this and get out of the situation with minimal losses, it is important to choose the appropriate tactics of behavior and respond correctly.

Where can you meet a bear

To understand how likely it is to meet a bear, consider the range of its habitat and the total number of each species. On the territory of Russia there are 3 types of bears: brown, white and Himalayan.

Brown bear

The brown bear can be found in the forests of almost the entire territory of our country and even outside the forest zone - for example, in the Chukchi tundra. Signs of its habitation are found even in the immediate vicinity of Moscow and within the Moscow and Leningrad regions.

Total population brown bears in Russia - 200 thousand individuals. These data are approximate, because how to calculate exact dimensions populations are very complex, and real numbers No one knows.

Polar bear

Its habitat is limited to the Arctic, respectively, the probability of meeting with it is very small.

There are 10 times fewer polar bears in the world than brown bears - only 20-30 thousand individuals. And in the territories adjacent to Russia (Svalbard-Novaya Zemlya, Laptev, Chukchi-Alaska populations) there are 8-10 thousand of them.

Himalayan (white-breasted) bear

Most rare species, about 5-6 thousand individuals. Distributed only in the south Far East(Primorsky Krai, southern part Khabarovsk Territory), but despite this, conflicts with his participation often happen, because there are a lot of bears and a lot of people in this territory.

Which bears are the most dangerous

Bears are dangerous regardless of age. The most dangerous are young bears, who are actively exploring everything that surrounds them, and large dominant males, who already have their own territory. But first things first.

Bear cubs (30-35% of the population)

Very small cubs no older than 1-2 years always stay close to their mother. They weigh a little, from 5-10 to 60 kg, and are no longer a danger to humans, but to camp property. The main threat comes from the mother, who is always somewhere nearby. If you see a bear cub, know that the bear is nearby and can follow you at any moment.

You can easily drive away the cubs with improvised means, but this must be done carefully so that they do not start to whimper and call for help from their mother. However, they should not be underestimated at all: at least 2 cases are known when grown-up second-year cubs killed people.

"Middle class" - teenage bears (about 50% of the population)

These are animals aged 3-7 years, which have not yet conquered their territory. They are forced to wander between foreign areas of large males and females with cubs until they are driven away.

These bears have a pronounced "teenager complex": they go into a campground, turn over everything that smells unusual - they overturn, they can easily ruin a tent and tear an inflatable boat to tatters. These actions do not malice, it's just that they are interested in everything, I want to try it on the tooth, slash it with their claws - in the end they get so excited that they smash the entire camp.

They can be driven away with improvised means, however, this is not as easy as in the case of cubs. But in no case should they be underestimated - even the smallest lone bear weighs from 60 to 150 kg and can easily cope with a physically strong person.

Teenage bears may not look mature, but they are already strong and capable of killing © scfh.ru

Females with cubs (15% of the population)

Large animals weighing 70-220 kg. Often come into conflict, as they seek to protect offspring. They are extremely difficult to drive away and must be handled with great care. In order not to provoke the bear's aggression, the cubs must not be offended - you just need to move away from them and not touch them.

Big bears (15-20% of the population)

This category includes adult males-dominants and large solitary she-bears. They enter into conflicts with a person in the season of starvation, to protect their prey or if they are unexpectedly disturbed. Usually they do not seek to destroy a person, and in 95% of cases they can be dispersed peacefully. However, it is in this species that there are cases of predation in relation to humans.

Large males do not give way and do not consider it necessary to avoid something in their territory. If you set up your tent on a bear trail, the bear will walk right through your tent without turning anywhere.

A large beast is hard to drive away, but it is easy to provoke an attack. If such a bear decides to attack, it will be difficult to stop him.

big beast seeks to protect its territory and may try to drive away a person © scfh.ru

What to expect from bears

When do bears attack people? There are a number of situations in which an animal can cause harm to a person or his property. Consider all options.

Entry into cities and towns

This is usually done by teenage bears and she-bears with cubs. They come in order to profit from something: they eat available food supplies, trample on vegetable gardens, small domestic animals, smash summer cottages. For example, in Khabarovsk over the past two years there have been cases when bears went straight into supermarkets and had to be driven out of there with great difficulty.

Bears are not afraid to approach human dwellings. This male was seen near the hut of zoologists in South Kamchatka federal reserve- uses the outhouse as a marker © From the blog of naturalist photographer Igor Shpilenok: shpilenok.livejournal.com

If normal recycling and waste disposal is not established near the camp site, poultry farm or meat processing plant, this may attract bears. They especially like cattle burial grounds with insufficient burial depth or generally superficial ones. Such poor-quality burial cost the lives of many bears.

The beast can also come to the smells of food from the tourist camp. For example, you heated the stew on the fire, it boiled over and poured out on the coals - as a result, all the bears within a radius of several kilometers know that somewhere nearby it is delicious.

Territory defense

Protecting the territory is characteristic of large and adult animals - they will seek to drive a person out of their possessions. With oncoming traffic, such an animal may simply not give way and pass through the camp.

Protection of offspring

This is the most important basic instinct of the mother. The mother bear always strives to protect her cubs.

Mining protection

Another unpleasant and dangerous topic. If a bear dug up prey somewhere, he will sit on it and protect it. The problem is that you don't know where this prey is buried. Usually everything happens like this: a fishing team or poachers caught a fish, it rotted and threw it into the bushes in a compact pile. A bear came, fed and lay down next to me. And here you are walking by, but the bear does not know that you are not interested in its prey - it does not know and attacks.

Rutting period

Hormonal surges in brown bears last from May to June, and in whites from April to June. At this time, both males and females are very easily excitable and react to all large moving objects, and it does not matter to them who it is: another bear, elk, deer or a person. They attack actively and often suddenly.

Predation

The most annoying part of the conflicts and the least predictable. There is nothing to reassure: if the bear is engaged in you, he will bring his work to the end. There are no options here.

Hungry migration

Periods of starvation occur in spring and autumn. But in the spring, the animal leaves the den with a fair amount of fat, which allows it to live comfortably until the first grass appears. More dangerous beast it becomes autumn, when a poor harvest of berries, a poor approach of fish - that's when the bear begins to look for food and is actively engaged in predation. There are whole seasons of starvation, then the animals massively come to the villages, attack livestock and people.

show of strength

The bear is considered an omnivore, but still it is a predator. He considers himself the strongest and able to cope with an animal of any size, including a man. In this way he demonstrates his superiority. In places where animals have not seen people for a long time (for example, in some regions of Chukotka), there have been cases when a bear rushed at an all-terrain vehicle - he did not understand what it was, and decided that he could fill up a moving object.

How to avoid an attack

Experienced people who often encounter bears (hunters, shepherds, hunters, reindeer herders) have an expression: "A bear is a beast without eyes." This is true: the animal's vision is monochrome and very poor - it distinguishes only nearby objects. If you stand still, and the wind blows ON you FROM the bear, then it can pass at a distance of 5 meters and not notice you.

Like most forest mammals, the bear is guided by movement, smells, sounds and touch. He has excellent hearing and sense of smell: there was a case when a bear smelled a dead elk at a distance of 12 kilometers from the carcass and unmistakably approached it.

A bear receives a lot of information through touch - with the help of paw pads. But how exactly this happens is not entirely clear.

If possible, you should try to avoid meeting with a predator at all. There are several rules that will help insure against an attack.

You need to move in groups, while trying to speak loudly, make noise along the way.

Bears very rarely attack groups of tourists, they simply avoid them © From the blog of naturalist photographer Igor Shpilenok: shpilenok.livejournal.com

It is advisable to have a dog in the group. She smells a bear and begins to bark, indicating where the beast is - he understands that he has been found and leaves. But you can trust only those dogs in which the human defense reflex is elevated to the absolute. Many people died in the taiga because a frightened dog rushed to the owner, knocked him down, and instead of the dog, the bear "broke" the owner.

If a dog is not able to sacrifice its life for the sake of a person, it is much more dangerous to go through bear places with it than without it © scfh.ru

Have protective equipment on hand: from metal utensils (or something similar that you can knock on loudly) to a flare.

Ways to scare away: what works and what does not

When meeting with a bear, it is important to be able not to fight him off, but to prevent a conflict in principle. The beast needs to be scared away so that it not only does not want to attack, but generally runs away from the person. There are many ways to scare away bears.

Voice

Regular situation: you are walking along the path, and towards the bear, very passionate about something, does not pay attention to anything. There are thickets of bushes on the sides of the road, you have nowhere to go - what to do? Wait until the bear approaches 20 meters, and then in a calm voice, as in normal communication, say something like: “Where are you, fool, breaking into?” After a few seconds, you will no longer see this bear.

metallic knock

Bears are scared by sharp, unpleasant sound. You can beat a jar on a stone or a spoon on a metal bowl - the beast will stand on its hind legs, look around and run away. There was a case when a sailor who was shipwrecked walked 40 kilometers through very densely populated bear places: he picked up a naked man from the ground and hit him with the butt of a knife, a rather loud and unpleasant sound was obtained - the bears did not approach the sailor.

The peoples of our country have a special attitude towards the bear. By right he is called the master of the forest. And this predator tends to protect its territory from uninvited guests.

Tragic cases of bear attacks on humans happen all the time. An enraged clubfoot can cause severe injuries to its strong paw with long claws or sharp teeth. Therefore, a meeting with a bear in the wilderness is highly undesirable.

The danger of such meetings lies in the fact that it is impossible to understand and predict the actions of the bear. Each individual, seeing a person, will behave differently. But still, some bears pose a mortal danger to people.

Who should be afraid?

A serious danger for a hunter or mushroom picker is a meeting with small cubs! If you find one or a couple of cubs-of-the-year-olds playing in the clearing in the forest, in no case should you approach them. On the contrary, without delay, you need to get out of here as soon as possible! No need to photograph them, film them, and even more so call them to you.

With a very high probability, somewhere near them is their mother. The female may see you as a threat to her offspring, and then the attack of an angry she-bear weighing under 500 kg. inevitably.

Try to leave this place silently and imperceptibly, without attracting the attention of the cubs. Bear cubs are very curious and not afraid of humans. And if they notice it, then most likely they will run up to it in order to study and sniff it. And it will be very bad if a mother bear sees her offspring next to you.

Move on. Sick, injured or weakened bears can purposefully attack a person, as they do not have enough strength to hunt forest dwellers.

Large males during the rut, which takes place in spring and early summer, are very aggressive. They can pounce on people for no reason.

Bears are also dangerous, which have previously attacked a person and now look at him as prey.

Therefore, in the forest you need to be especially attentive and observant in order to notice the presence of a clubfoot in time and retreat even before he notices you.
In addition, in some situations, a bear will attack a person with a high degree of probability. What are these situations?

Precautions, rules of conduct for a hunter/mushroom picker in bear areas.

It should be said right away that bears react very nervously to the unexpected appearance of not only a person, but also any forest animal. Especially if you walked so silently that he could see you at a distance of less than 20-30 meters. He may regard this as an act of aggression on your part and “go on the defensive” - pounce on an unexpected guest.

It is very dangerous to catch a bear eating. In order to protect his prey, he can also rush to the attack. So it is recommended to bypass all places where there is strong smell fell. The fact is that the clubfoot sincerely considers himself the owner of a certain territory and will protect his possessions, and especially food.

So, he can react aggressively to fishermen. Near the rivers, where the clubfoot catches fish, you need to be careful. If suddenly you notice a bear fishing in the distance, then try to get around it as far as possible to avoid meeting it.

Also, be careful in those places where there are clear signs of the presence of the owner of the taiga. Fresh paw prints, scratches on trees, destroyed anthills, dug up the ground, where you can see large traces of bear claws. You need to get out of here as soon as possible.

In general, if there is a high probability of meeting with this predator, then you need to warn him in advance about your presence. Try to make as much noise as possible. Knock on trees with a stick, talk loudly, sing songs. Most bears are afraid of people and will leave safely without you noticing them.

It has been observed that this beast most often attacks a “lone wanderer” than a group of people.

You should not linger too much on bear places and trails, and even more so make a halt or set up a camp there. The bear will obviously not be happy with such a neighborhood.

If you have to spend the night in the forest, then observe the following measures Precautions: Keep food away from tents. It is advisable to place all food on a tree. Food waste and garbage, the smell of which can attract clubfoot, is best burned. If possible, do not eat too “smelling” foods like barbecue or smoked meats.

At night, you can, and even need to kindle and maintain a fire.

In the dark, it is better not to walk through the forest at all. In the twilight of the night, you can accidentally stumble upon a bear, as they say, nose to nose. By the way, at night they are much bolder and more aggressive, so the likelihood of a bear attack increases significantly.

You can not feed the bears, throw them food. So they lose their natural fear of man and cease to be afraid of him. In addition, they learn that you can beg something tasty from people.

And if the next traveler who meets them on the way does not have these goodies, then they can react very aggressively.

The degree of aggression of the bear largely depends on the time of year. deadly danger it is considered to meet a bear in winter, when he should sleep in a den. Connecting rods, as such bears are popularly called, are extremely aggressive. They attack a person not only in the taiga, but can also enter settlements.

There are many cases when these uninvited guests entered the yards and killed dogs and other domestic animals. Sometimes people too. So if there are large traces of a bear in the snow, you need to be especially careful and, if possible, not visit the forest at all.

As a rule, the connecting rods are shot by local OOiR, since these hungry, exhausted animals that could not hibernate in time are unlikely to live until spring.

In the spring and in June-July, you also need to be careful. As mentioned above, at this time they have mating season.

A few words about dogs

Probably, many have heard stories about how a faithful hunting husky saved the owner from the paws of a bear at the cost of own life. Such facts do exist. But not every dog can save a human life. Only vicious, strong, poisoned huskies, who are not afraid of the bear, can protect people.

But the dog that sees this large predator For the first time in my life, I'm afraid. Such a bear, of course, can smell it. And he can even bark at him. But if the clubfoot chases her, then she will first of all run to the owner so that he protects her, thereby substituting him. So it is better not to take weak, untested, cowardly dogs with you.

Now we know which bears to be wary of in the first place, in which places to be especially careful and at what time they are most aggressive. I hope this information will help you avoid meeting them. But what if the "rendezvous" with the owner of the forest happened?

How to behave when meeting a bear

First of all, do not show fear, remain calm. It is strongly not recommended to run away. In this case, the brown has an instinctive desire to catch up with the “victim”. And he will definitely catch up, as he runs pretty fast. What can we say, if swift-footed moose sometimes cannot escape from it!

If this does not happen, then try, backing away, but without turning your back on him, to leave this place. The clubfoot sees that the person is not dangerous and leaves this place himself.

But there are bears that, either out of curiosity or because of aggression, can come to meet you. Sometimes they even stand on their hind legs to get a better look. In this case, you should not make sudden movements, you can’t squeal or growl either - it’s better to just talk in a confident tone and try to make it look bigger. You can, for example, stand on a stump, carefully open your raincoat - this way you will appear taller and healthier.

If there is a saucepan, then you can knock on it with some metal object - an unusual sound can scare away the beast.

They say that checkmate works well against bears and, in general, any harsh sounds. So, you can blow up a firecracker, or make a shot from a gun. In no case should you shoot a bear, especially if you are not sure that you can hit it with the first round. A wounded animal is even more dangerous. Usually a few warnings in the air are enough, and the bears and the trail caught a cold.

Currently effective tool protection recognized pepper spray against bears. But it works at a distance of up to 5 meters.

If the clubfoot does not leave, but on the contrary, shows signs of aggression - it stretches its lips, digs the ground with its front paws, growls, then most likely the attack is inevitable. In this case, running away is more expensive for yourself. If it is possible to quickly climb the nearest tree, then it is better to do it by all means. And so that you have enough time for this, you can throw your backpack or jacket to him. A curious bear will probably look at their contents. And you will have saving seconds.

When there is no possibility for salvation, the best thing is to just pretend to be dead. Fall to the ground on your stomach or curl into a fetal position. The main thing is to protect your head with your hands and not open your stomach. If you do not move, then soon the bear will lose interest in you and leave. But just do not immediately get up and give "signs of life." Let the clumsy go away.

Of course, it’s still better not to take the situation to the extreme, so that later you don’t feel the claws of a clubfoot on yourself. In the forest, you need to be very careful and pay attention to any signs that indicate the presence of a bear nearby in order to see it first.

Any walk away from settlements is nothing more than an invasion of someone else's (in this case, for a person) territory. It should always be remembered that the true owners on it are wild animals, since it is their habitat. The bear is the most dangerous and strong beast in our forests. And if he met on the way, you need to clearly understand what you can do and what you can’t, so as not to provoke his attack.

Basic rules of behavior in the forest

Don't try to take over territory

Who is in the forest true master- known. If you find a bear even at a great distance, you should not organize a halt in this place, and even more so, set up a tent camp. It is better to step back a little, adjust the route and choose another site. The same applies to his many traces. Without experience, it is difficult to determine whether the beast just passed or he is used to hunting here, feasting on the gifts of nature, and so on. Perhaps this is his path or somewhere nearby there are cubs. Trying to settle down next door will not lead to anything good.

Don't get close

The bear is not just a hermit. He understands that there is no equal in strength in the forest, and he regards any intrusion into his territory as a threat to himself personally. If you meet a bear in the forest, you should go around it in an arc, while constantly keeping it in sight. As a rule, it is quite enough to disperse peacefully. A bear in such situations, if not provoked, does not attack.

A special warning to those who like to take selfies. Now it is in fashion, and not only among young people. Such "self-photography", and even against the background of the beast, implies almost close contact with him. How this may end, it is pointless to explain. It is unlikely that the bear will appreciate such a "craving for the beautiful" and will accept in this Active participation. A clear example of close communication with a predator is a recent case in one of our zoos, when a lady tried to take a selfie in front of a cage with a tiger. In principle, the same thing - playing with fire.

Do not go deep into the thickets

Like any animal, the bear prefers to hide in the thicket. Special attention shoots (shrubs, small trees) with fruits. For example, wild raspberries. In a hiking trip, you need to move around open areas of the area, and if we are talking about picking mushrooms, berries, then when moving through the forest, you should create more noise, warning its inhabitants in advance about your approach. At unexpected meeting the bear may get scared and rush at the person.

Don't relax and keep looking back

The forest is not your own apartment. It is full of surprises, so you should not forget about elementary precautions.

What to do in emergency situations

They can be very different. The most typical cases when meeting a bear in the forest:

the animal noticed the person, looks in his direction, but does not change its location;
the bear is approaching;
the meeting took place unexpectedly, both for the beast and for the man.

How to proceed

Move away slowly, while speaking in an undertone (but not shouting) or humming. And do it calmly, without betraying fear. You can even start a “conversation” with the beast, reassuring him that no one encroaches on his territory. According to experienced hunters-hunters, a fenced Russian mat is another reliable remedy for an attack by a clubfoot. Feeling the confidence of a person, the bear will understand that the potential victim is quite capable of defending himself and is absolutely not afraid of him. Therefore, he will not attack.
Get up in full height. It is advisable to raise both hands, holding a cap, jacket or something else in one of them. The main thing is to appear as big as possible.
Stay calm, no matter how scary, do not panic.
Fall down and pretend to be dead. This is practiced if close contact with a predator cannot be avoided. In many cases, this ends with the bear having sniffed the prey and leaving. The best position is flat, with your stomach pressed to the ground. There are recommendations that you need to lie on your side, curled up. This is hardly justified, since it is not a fact that the clubfoot will not wake up with simple curiosity, and he will not turn the victim over. And he does it with his claws. How it ends is clear, even if you don’t make a sound. The bear will leave, but the wounds will be impressive. Yes, and it is unlikely that a person will endure such a thing. BUT loud screams the beast will only be irritated.

If the bear has retired, you can not immediately proceed to some kind of active action. Perhaps he just walked away, hid and watches. Therefore, you should wait a little, carefully look around, without making sudden movements, and only then slowly leave this place.

In the event of a clear attack, when there is no doubt about the intentions of the bear, resist and call for help. Throw everything that is at hand - stones, large branches, earth (it is advisable to get into the eyes). Arm yourself with a stick and fight back. Sometimes such a fierce rebuff leads to the fact that the bear retreats and leaves in search of a weaker prey. The fact is that, as a rule, young, inexperienced and self-confident individuals attack a person. When they feel that they are being squeezed, they stop trying.

What to do when you meet a bear

Look the bear straight in the eye

He will take this as an immediate challenge and may attack.

Take your dog to the forest

Of course, if we are not talking about hunting. If you can’t do without a four-legged pet, it must be kept on a leash, and a short one at that. It is not uncommon for a dog to provoke a bear attack on a person - with its constant barking, or even direct attempts to bite a clubfoot. The beast will not like such an annoying neighborhood, and he will definitely take measures to get rid of uninvited guests.

Stay in the area where the animal is seen

Even if he left, this does not mean that this section of the forest is safe. The bear can change position, stealthily approach the victim from the other side, and so on. There are many options. It is better to immediately leave this place and try to get out, if not from the forest, then to the most open space.

Make sudden movements

The bear will regard this as a clear threat to its own safety. And even more aggressive.

try to hide

Firstly, this is a useless exercise, since a bear will quickly detect a person, especially if he has already noticed him. Secondly, such actions are a sign of cowardice. The beast will immediately understand that it is an easy prey.

Turn your back on the bear

This is for him - as a signal to attack, because the potential victim opened the most unprotected place.

Run away

It makes no sense, given that over rough terrain, an adult bear quickly accelerates to 60 - 65 km / h. By the way, running away is the worst option. A clubfoot is a hunter by nature, and such actions of a person will only excite him. He involuntarily rushes in pursuit, but the result is predictable.

As an exception - the extraordinary physical data of a person. If you have confidence in your abilities, you can run away. The bear needs to be worn out by constantly changing direction. Since its mass is significant, it loses a lot of speed when cornering. In addition, he runs well for short distances, but he does not last long on long ones. Therefore, with good physical preparation, it becomes possible to escape. It is advisable to choose the direction in such a way as to approach people, the road, locality. This will further increase your chances.

sneak up on a bear

There are such lovers - it is better to consider, photograph, just admire, observe. The clubfoot has an excellent instinct, besides, he is in “his element” (in nature), so any attempt to deceive him is doomed to failure in advance. He will regard this as preparation for a possible attack, and will respond in kind, and more proactively.

escape on a tree

In this case, the chances of salvation are practically reduced to zero. Despite external slowness, bears differ not only in strength, but also in agility and the ability to climb trees.

The only option is if the trunk is thick and tall enough. Due to its weight, the beast may not reach the upper branches. But how long can a person stay in this position? But the bear knows how to wait. Therefore, this method of salvation is an extreme case.

Walking in the woods in the dark

You don't even have to go far from the tent. The explanation is simple. The bear is a predominantly nocturnal hunter, and a person practically does not orient himself at this time. Already - a clear superiority of the clubfoot.

Approach the bear cubs

The bear will never leave them alone. If the mother is not visible, this does not mean that she has left, leaving the babies unattended. Well, what will end any attempts to play with the cubs, it is clear without further explanation.

It is impossible to give recommendations for all cases. But one more piece of advice will not be superfluous. Right choice way to resolve conflict situation" largely depends on the knowledge of the bear's habits. When going to the forest, it is useful to read something. The psychological aspect is also important. If you understand the motivation of certain actions of the beast (protecting your babies, satisfying hunger, and so on), it is easier to assess the situation and take appropriate measures. Then a walk through the forest will bring real pleasure, and will not become fatal.

Bear attacks on people happen quite often. The forest is a home for animals, but for a person it is an alien environment. For a number of reasons, predators can show aggression when people appear. Find out why this happens and what to do if you meet a bear in the forest.

Reasons for the attack

Bear behavior depends on several factors. His age, season, place, circumstances of the meeting matter:

In winter, a meeting with a bear is a rarity. Sometimes this happens when the animal woke up for some reason (not enough accumulated fat or someone disturbed), leaving the den. Such bears are called rods. In winter they are especially aggressive.
Meeting near the loot storage area. A predator perceives a person as an obstacle to a meal or sees a competitor in him, so he will fight for his property.

Bears come out of hibernation in early spring. During the winter, they squandered their fat reserves, they are hungry. Hence the tendency to aggression.
Late spring is the mating season. Hormonal storm promotes aggression. Males often fight with competitors. A meeting with a bear during this period promises trouble for a person.
A meeting with a she-bear with cubs is especially dangerous. The female accepts any creature as a potential threat to their children. The reason for aggression is the desire to protect offspring.
In summer, the danger is reduced. The explanation for this is purely physiological: there is a lot of food around, the mating season is over. However, even in summer you need to do everything possible to avoid meeting with a predator.

Meeting Options

You can find a bear in the forest in different situations, for example, accidentally come across his couch. Depending on the circumstances of the meeting, it is recommended to build your behavior.

Encounter with a sleeping bear

You can't wake up a sleeping predator. Do not linger nearby, talk loudly or take photos. But you can’t run away headlong either. The tramp, crackling of branches will wake the animal. You should calm down as much as possible and just silently leave.

bear eating food

Any predator is characterized by food aggression. The beast considers a stranger encroaching on its food. You need to try to show the absence of any interest in other people's food.

group of bears

Meeting several bears at the same time is an infrequent, but possible occurrence. It happens for the following reasons:

During the rut, animals extremely easily fall into aggression. Since there are several predators, the chances of prey are zero. Viciousness is shown by both males and females.
The company of young bears, when their mother had already driven them away. The cubs live separately, but have not yet chosen their sites for independent living. Young growth is not so dangerous, it is easier to scare it away.

Bear and cubs

An extremely dangerous situation. The mother bear protects her children. She doesn't know how to behave uninvited guests, and therefore easily falls into aggression at the sight of strangers. Even during the absence of the she-bear, you should not approach the cubs, no matter how cute they look.

The bear never leaves her children for a long time and will definitely return at the most inopportune moment for those who want to take a selfie. You need to leave quickly.

On the hunt

During the hunt, a chance meeting with a predator is possible. Even with a weapon, killing a bear is not easy. It is better not to tempt fate, but to retire. Seeing the silhouette of an animal, you need to leave without noise. If the beast noticed the hunter, a shot in the air will help. Of not enough powerful weapon better not to shoot. A wounded predator will only get more angry.

Note! The risk of attack is largely determined by distance. The greater the distance, the less likely the bear will perceive a person as invading his personal space.

Rules of conduct at a meeting

The meeting of a bear with a person creates 2 scenarios for the development of the situation:

The predator noticed the person, examines him, but does not take any aggressive actions.
The beast began to approach, probably an attack.

Take the most even posture. Animals learn body language. In a stooped person, animals feel fear and insecurity. Then gently raise both hands up - this will visually increase the height of a person. For a predator, the dimensions of the opponent matter.
Calm down, try to suppress your fear.
Start talking. The topic of the monologue is irrelevant. The voice should sound confident, but not loud and aggressive.
Start walking away slowly. It's better to go backwards. Move diagonally, keeping the animal in sight. Movements are smooth. If the predator is far enough away, go around it in an arc.

Approaching does not necessarily mean a threat: the bear does not see well and may come closer to examine the object. It is also possible that a predator seeks to catch the wind in order to smell. Sometimes after identifying an object, the bear simply runs away. An approaching predator is not always going to attack. Often the animal only wants to push the stranger out of its territory.

If the animal is clearly aggressive, the following behaviors are possible:

Fall down, pretending to be dead. Do this only if contact with a bear is unavoidable. There are chances that the predator will sniff the body and leave. They lie down only face down, no matter how scary it is to lose visual control of what is happening. You can’t lie on your side or back: a bear can touch it with a clawed paw, and then the injuries of the lying person will be much more noticeable. If everything worked out, you do not need to immediately jump up and run away. The beast may well just step back and observe - after all, he recently saw the same object standing. You need to lie down for a while, then carefully look around and silently leave the place.
The approaching beast can really be frightened by making a loud noise. Use everything that is at hand, for example, metal objects. There are special scarecrows, for example, American shooting launchers to scare away predators. They can scare a bear, but their effectiveness is 50/50. It all depends on the seriousness of the intentions of the beast. There are special pepper sprays on sale. Their action is limited in radius. Aerosol products are effective only in the absence of wind.
The attacking predator must be resisted. It would be useful to shout, call for help (suddenly people will be nearby). To defend themselves, they use improvised means, including stones, branches, sand or earth. Vulnerable point bear - eyes, so you need to try to hit it on them. Aggressive defense can scare off a predator, especially when it comes to young animals.

Advice! pretending dead person the animal often throws dry foliage and branches. The main thing here is to just freeze, patiently waiting for the departure of the beast.

What Not to Do

Having met a bear, you cannot perform the following actions:

Show unmotivated aggression. Do not throw stones or sticks at the animal. A beast that was not going to attack is able to quickly change its mind.
Look the predator in the eye. A gaze for the beast is equal to a challenge.
Make sudden movements. Waves of arms, sharp turns of the body, the animal understands as aggression and is able to deliver a preemptive strike.
Try to hide. This is a pointless exercise. The bear will still find it. In addition, this is a signal to the predator - the victim is in front of him.
You can't turn your back on a bear. The animal will perceive such a position as a signal to attack.
Run away. An attempt to escape is usually doomed to failure. Even over rough terrain, the bear is able to move at a speed of 60 kilometers per hour. But the possibility of a successful escape cannot be completely ruled out. Having an extraordinary physical training and suitable terrain gives a chance to escape. The bear is a sprinter, not a marathon runner, he loses speed quickly. It should only be remembered: an unsuccessful attempt to escape from a predator by flight will end sadly, since the beast will certainly begin the pursuit.
Sneak up on an animal. To a lover to take a photo, it may seem that the beast does not notice him. This is a misleading assumption. The animal will consider the approaching person as an attacker and will defend itself.
Climb a tree. brown bears great for climbing trees. You can't be saved that way. The only exception: the tree is quite branched and the massive beast will not be able to reach some of its sections.
Approach the bear cubs.

Watch the video on how to behave when encountering a bear.

Rules of conduct in the forest

Exist simple rules, observance of which will help to protect yourself from trouble:

After detecting signs of finding a bear, you must immediately leave the territory. The beast is not necessarily gone forever. He may have moved away to search for food or is observing the situation from a secluded place. Signs by which you can recognize the signs of the presence of a bear: footprints, a disturbed anthill, scratched tree trunks, broken young trees, torn stumps, excrement (litter).
Try to do in the forest without a dog. There are cases when the behavior of a dog became the cause of a bear attack.
Avoid being in the forest at night. human vision loses functionality in the dark. Bear - night Hunter, so it is perfectly oriented in the dark.
Avoid thickets. Bears are found in such places, especially in raspberries. In addition, they live in cedar dwarfs and willows.
While in the forest, carefully monitor the environment. The forest is a foreign hostile environment.
It is better to move in open spaces - there is more visibility.

Having met animals that feed on carrion, or finding dead carcasses, go away. Bears are scavengers and come by scent.
Another favorite habitat for bears is areas along the banks of rivers. There are predators fishing. Fishing time - night and before dawn.
It is advisable to travel in groups. The chances of an attack are drastically reduced.
Predators are scared away by the bright flames of the fire.
You can't feed wild animals. They gradually cease to be afraid of people, but do not acquire good manners.
Don't leave food leftovers. It is useless to bury it, because the bear has a keen sense of smell.

There are no recommendations that absolutely guarantee safety when meeting with a bear. The main thing when meeting with any predatory animal is to keep cool and try to put into practice all your knowledge in the field of animal habits. It is also important to follow the rules of behavior in the forest, avoiding getting into dangerous situations.