Bear Den

Learning to tell the difference between grizzly bears and black bears is essential if you plan on spending any amount of time whatsoever in bear country. It is important to know the difference because both bears exhibit different types of behaviors. While both grizzlies and black bears can be aggressive when provoked, black bears tend to be much less aggressive than grizzlies as a general rule. In addition, it is important to be able to tell the difference between a grizzly bear and a black bear as a means of providing the necessary conservation methods Read more »

The most important thing to know about bears is they rarely attack people. It’s more likely you’ll be struck by lightning than attacked by a bear. They are reclusive creatures, and prefer to be left alone. When hiking through bear country, take precautions by staying alert and maintaining a constant level of noise. It doesn’t have to be dramatic, just idle chatter, snapping twigs on the ground, all of which forewarn a Read more »

In some parts of the country, bears are a very real concern that can sometimes hit closer to home than you realize. They are wild animals and, as often the case with these, they seek out food and water anywhere they can find it.

Since man has been steadily encroaching the wilderness for some time, it only makes sense that bears would begin encroaching on ours. Not because of revenge but because they simply have nowhere to go.

That’s why we came up with some home security tips for dealing with bears:

1) Lock up the trash containers. We throw out a lot of food as a species and bears dive in for that stuff. If you keep your trash in a shed in a heavily bear-populated area, you can expect trouble if you don’t lock it down with chains and a sturdy lock.

2) No bird feeders on poles. Bird seed is just too tempting and it’s no problem for a full grown grizzly to bend the pole and take the seed. If you want a bird feeder, suspend it from a tree and far enough away from your property to avoid trouble.

3) Always remember to close your garage door. There was a story on the news a few months back about a bear cub that wormed his way into a lady’s garage and got stuck. Eventually the mama bear came to the rescue bringing with it, the inherent danger of a startled mother bear.

And, speaking of the news, another security tip though a little impractical (at least with bears) is a home security system. Situations like what happened on the news where a bear actually entered a woman’s home are extremely rare, but if you’re seriously concerned, then that might be a good idea. Sites like www.securitychoice.com are just one of many with systems that can help with this highly unlikely but, still, highly dangerous scenario.

Polar bears are the only members of the bear family known to actively stalk and hunt human beings. For that reason, those who wish to safely observe polar bears should only do so while in the company of experienced guides who are not only trained in bear protection techniques but also in wilderness survival.

Northern American populations of polar bears are only found near the Arctic Ocean. The community of Churchill, Manitoba, is one of the most popular Read more »

Those living in rural areas close to vast swatches of natural bear habitat may, from time to time, come into contact with the animals. Possessing a sense of smell that is estimated to be seven times stronger than that of blood hounds, bears can be attracted to the scent of household garbage in search of an easy meal. In order to avoid attracting bears it is important to secure garbage away from them until just prior to collection day, taking the cans to the curb the night before or immediately preceding collection. Read more »

Livestock guardian breeds include the German Shepherd, Giant Schnauzer, and any of the three Belgian Shepherd breeds. These breeds are known for their inherent desire to “herd” packs of animals, their loyalty to their humans, high level of obedience and intelligence, and their willingness and ability to protect what they consider to be “theirs.”

These breeds were created with the intent of not only herding, but also to stand up to any aggressor that attempts to harm their charges. All around the world it is not uncommon for coyotes, wolves, bears, and mountain lions to be a Read more »

Since bears can’t read, simply installing a “Bears Stay Out!” sign won’t be terribly effective. Instead, install bear-resistant fencing to keep them out of areas where they’re not wanted. Any garbage should always be locked inside a strong shed or at the very least inside a metal lockbox. Any garbage, scraps or even a BBQ must be inside a secure area. Keeping these tempting treats away from a bear’s path can go a long way toward keeping bears out of proximity to humans.

Beyond that, a tall metal fence is usually the most Read more »

A host of animals are sure to be seen on almost any mountain excursion. One of the more common and entertaining of them is the Black Bear. Any trip to the mountains is sure to bring one within viewing distance. It is not recommended, however, to feed them. Not only does feeding bear pose a threat to human safety, the bears are placed in the way of danger too. Feeding can be intentional or inadvertent, so appropriate measures should be taken to secure belongings to reduce the chance of an accidental feeding.
Black Bear often visit the campsites and because of their frequent interaction with humans, they feel that there is little to fear. Campers often fail to realize that wild bears are attracted to the smell of food and trash at campsites. Failure to place trash in a secured bin is certain to attract the attention of bear. Although the site of a bear digging through the trash bin may be entertaining, it’s obviously not safe for the bear or the humans. Often campers leave food items in storage containers on picnic tables and come back to find Black Bear sitting on the table enjoying lunch. A simple remedy is to place food in containers that can be sealed and then to place these sealed containers into coolers. This may reduce the bear’s interest in the food items.
Black Bear pose an immediate threat to human safety and can use their amazing strength for a serious attack. It is the bear that is more commonly at risk, however. Campers that inadvertently feed bears are sometimes scared by their presence and can sometimes use lethal force in a moment of fear. Bears may consume containers or silverware with their dining selection and can suffer serious health concerns because of this. Bears also run the risk of injury if crossing roadways to reach campsites. A simple way to keep everything safe is to secure food items and reduce the possibility of attracting bears.

The Spectacled Bear is, for a bear, a relatively small bear that is native to South America. It is given its name because of the coloring on its face that makes it appear as if the bear is wearing glasses. The Spectacled Bear is also called the Andean Bear because it can be found around the Andes Mountains.

The Spectacled Bear is endangered for two reasons. First, its natural habitat is being decimated by logging and farming. As the loss of habitat and natural food sources have disappeared the bears have been forced Read more »

Bear captive breeding programs are meant for conservation purposes. The programs take in endangered bears so they can study and breed them. Successful captive breeding programs may be able to provide the necessary resources to save animals that are in imminent danger of extinction. They do this by maintaining a viable gene pool until bear habitats can be restored.

The breeding programs have many different tasks. One of their most important duties is to study reproductive behavior and physiology. Not only that, but they also spend a lot of time watching Read more »