00:00The most famous survival rule concerning a face-to-face with a bear is to stay still and pretend to be dead.
00:07But this rule will not work with all bears, only with grizzlies and brown bears.
00:13If you are in North America, you will find them in Alaska, in the state of Washington, Montana, Idaho and Wyoming.
00:21Black bears, which you must escape at all costs, live on a larger territory.
00:27They are found in 40 states of America, a large part of Canada and even some regions of northern Mexico.
00:33So, if you walk in Yellowstone, you could come across a black bear or a grizzly.
00:38But if you are in California, the bear you will come across by accident will most likely be a black bear.
00:44And no, you can't just trust the color difference between their fur.
00:49Black bears can be black, brown, red, blond, gray-blue or even white.
00:55It's complicated, isn't it?
00:57If you notice a bump on the shoulders of your impromptu guest, it's a grizzly.
01:02Black bears don't have one.
01:04A grizzly will also have a more sunken face, round ears and long, light-colored claws.
01:10The black bear has a straight muzzle, similar to that of a dog, pointed ears and darker claws.
01:16There will be an interlude on this a little later.
01:19Finally, maybe.
01:25So, if you're sure it's a grizzly or a brown bear, lie down.
01:29Take a fetal position.
01:31Bring your knees against your chest and cover your head to show the bear that you are not a threat.
01:37These big, heavy bears mainly attack when they feel threatened.
01:41But you will never be able to outrun them in a race.
01:44So don't even try.
01:46If they see that you are a small, harmless human being, in 99% of cases, the bear will pass its way.
01:52Wait 2 to 3 minutes until you can no longer hear it up close.
01:57It could stay in the parishes to make sure you are not detected.
02:01And, if necessary, attack.
02:04If you are ready for such an emergency, and you have an anti-bear spray on you,
02:08remove the safety clip when the animal is about 5 meters away and spray the bear.
02:13Aim slightly below his face.
02:16It is more effective than simply adopting a fetal position.
02:20When the bear is retreating, flee in the opposite direction to the predator.
02:25You understand everything.
02:29If you are dealing with a black bear, it will not stop when it sees you crouching on the ground.
02:34And if you don't have anti-bear spray on you, and it seems to be clearly interested,
02:39show it who is the boss.
02:41Throw stones or your stuff at it, and scream loudly, applaud,
02:45make yourself look bigger by raising your arms high and shaking your jacket,
02:49climb on a rock or a string, do everything you can to scare it.
02:54Black bears look a lot like those little thugs at school who steal your snack.
02:59They will often give up if they see that you can defend yourself.
03:03If the bear is dangerously approaching you, hit it in the nose or eyes,
03:07and try to confuse it or stun it to make this unwanted hiking companion flee.
03:12If the bear, no matter the type, is just sitting at a distance and watching you,
03:16try to move away very slowly.
03:18Move laterally with a slight angle so as not to stumble while retreating far from the danger.
03:23In this way, the bear will not think that you are trying to flee,
03:26and will not be incited to chase you.
03:29Speak calmly out loud to show it that you are a human.
03:32Singing can also help.
03:34Who knows, maybe it will also know the melody.
03:37Avoid direct visual contact with the animal,
03:40and never stand between a bear and its mother.
03:43Do not panic if the bear stands on its hind legs,
03:46this is not an aggressive demonstration.
03:48If you ever plan to visit a region populated by polar bears,
03:51do not go there without a deterrent.
03:54Like a tank for example.
03:56Bad polar bears in good health weigh half a ton,
03:59measure 2 meters standing on their hind legs,
04:01and can hunt their prey up to 40 km per hour.
04:05A group of 3 or more people can suffice to intimidate any bear,
04:09so do not go out alone.
04:11Walk with other people and speak loudly during your hike
04:14to indicate that you are a group of humans.
04:17Do not forget that all polar bears are not eager predators
04:20to make you their breakfast.
04:22Some of them simply vacate their occupations.
04:25If you see one with his head down,
04:27lurking, without trying to go elsewhere,
04:30but clearly focusing on you,
04:32this is where you should worry.
04:35Move away slowly from the bear, do not run,
04:38and use your deterrent only if the bear approaches you.
04:44Some claim that ammonia is an excellent repulsive for bears.
04:48They really do not like its smell,
04:50so if you soak a few rags in it and throw them away,
04:54they should not be interested in your trash.
04:57And if you meet a bear in the wild
04:59and it does not seem to be so interested in you,
05:01ammonia could help you repel it.
05:04However, ammonia can also damage its nasal voices,
05:07depriving the animal of its odor,
05:09which means that it will no longer be able to find its food.
05:13This could also annoy a bear
05:15who did not plan to attack you and push it to do so.
05:19Everything that has an interesting smell for bears,
05:22starting with your food and your garbage,
05:24will attract their attention
05:26and push them to come inspect your tent.
05:28So cook far from the camp and do not spread garbage.
05:32Spraying your tent with anti-bear spray
05:34could be counterproductive.
05:36The peppered products they contain
05:38can remind them of the smell of food
05:40and could be a way to attract bears.
05:45If you notice a bear standing on the side of the road,
05:48resist the urge to stop to take pictures.
05:51Stay away from at least 100 meters
05:53and park in a safe place.
05:55Bears on the side of the road
05:56quickly get used to humans and the noise of traffic,
05:59which can be dangerous for them.
06:01And they are more likely to approach
06:03campsites and picnic areas
06:05in search of human food.
06:08People who live in the mountains
06:10or near nature
06:11are used to the visit of bears
06:13and generally do not fear them.
06:15Douglas Harder thus noticed
06:17a black bear mother and her two cubs
06:19emptying the bird feeder on his terrace.
06:22He also managed to go home
06:24after a while to see
06:26that a bear had entered his kitchen
06:28through a partially open sliding door.
06:30The intruder had scratched a wall
06:32and chipped some treats
06:34before fleeing.
06:35Harder had just finished cleaning
06:37after the bear
06:38when a bear pushed its head
06:40through its cage.
06:41These photos went viral online.
06:45Kristen Jones, on the other hand,
06:47was visiting her parents
06:48in North Carolina
06:49and had decided to do yoga
06:51on the bank of a lake nearby.
06:53She was wearing headphones
06:54and did not hear the bear
06:55approaching her from behind.
06:57Suddenly, she felt someone sniffing
06:59and licking her neck.
07:01She thought it was her neighbor's dog
07:03and extended her arm to caress it,
07:05which scared the animal.
07:07Kristen managed to take
07:09some pictures of the bear
07:11fleeing,
07:12although no one believed
07:14in the story of this moth.
07:16She remembers this moment
07:17as the scariest in her life
07:19and hopes it will never happen again.
07:21As for the bear,
07:22it was most likely
07:23in the parishes looking for food,
07:25in the trash cans
07:26and on people's terraces.
07:29Scientists who observe polar bears
07:32note how incredibly intelligent
07:34these animals are.
07:36The members of Polar Bears International
07:38took hundreds of pictures
07:40to study these animals up close.
07:42Before using a special cage,
07:44they took their pictures
07:45using a device
07:46fixed at the end of a long pole
07:48which was lowered to a certain height.
07:50One day,
07:51the flash of the camera
07:52triggered right in front of
07:54the face of a bear.
07:55The bear did not appreciate
07:56these paparazzi methods,
07:58but instead of destroying the camera,
08:00the bear calmly stretched out its paw.
08:02Then,
08:03it stretched out a claw
08:04and planted it
08:05in the edge of the lens.
08:07The bear stayed like this
08:08and did not let go of the camera.
08:10The photographer
08:11had tried to climb up the pole,
08:13but it was a lost cause.
08:14After 15 minutes,
08:16the Polar Bear
08:17looked up at him
08:18and finally let go.
08:20It would have been said
08:21that he was trying to send
08:22a clear message
08:23by never using flash on him.
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