A common misconception is that black bears, because they are generally timid and docile, will not molest humans except when a sow bear believes that she needs to defend her cub. In reality, however, over 70% of the black bear attacks on humans are from predatory males. "Predatory" specifically means that the bear is not defending himself or others but is instead attacking the human because he believes that the human will be tasty.
For more info on a study of the phenomenon as reported in the Alaska Dispatch News, click here. The article also provides helpful hints on determining whether a bear is acting aggressively because it is nervous about human presence or instead because it wants to eat you.
P.S. Don't forget the bear spray when in the great outdoors.
No comments:
Post a Comment