Bears
Scared and excited
I was always very excited by the prospect of seeing bears in the wild. When I had the opportunity to visit Canada, I finally had the chance to make it happen. When the time to go drew closer, though, the thought of meeting a bear terrified me.
My road trips around Canada had an extra element of fear. I always had an awareness of the potential presence of bears, even when there was only a very slim chance of something going wrong.
When I did finally spot wild bears, both black and brown, I was mesmerised. Not least for their size and stature, but also for their complete disinterest in me. They appeared to be both beautiful, yet gentle, giants.
My encounters
I have had quite a few encounters with bears. Fortunately, I only spotted the larger grizzlies from the safety of a car. I did come across smaller black bears when on foot – which were frightening. Although most sightings of black bears were from a vehicle, also – they are fairly common outside of the cities.
The first encounter was on a hike near Canmore, BC. I heard rustling – and spotted a black shape in the bush less than 10 metres away. I peaked through the leaves and I was close enough to see the whites of its eyes. After seeing my fears confirmed, I was relieved the bear paid no notice of me, and simply carried on munching on the foliage.
On another day, during a run in the rain around Revelstoke, BC, I passed along a river near town. The air was misty as I ran through a narrow path between the trees, before the ground opened up. As I ran through, a black bear appeared, around 20 metres ahead of me. The bear looked started, unsure of what was coming towards it. So, I followed advice I was given, and I shouted to let it know I was there – and not a threat. I saw it smell the air – clearly unimpressed – before quietly moving away.
My first grizzly encounter happened to be a mother and cub. However, we would have been unaware it was a cub had we been told by a fellow onlooker – given this two-year old cub was almost as large as its mother. They both ignored us as they furiously ate the dandelions on the roadside.
Bear cubs
It’s well-known that a mother with cubs is likely to be the most dangerous encounter you can have with a bear. Its paramount you give a mother plenty of space and no reason to feel her cubs are threatened. However, if you are lucky enough to spot cubs from a safe place, as I have been, it could be a truly magical moment.
During a two-week road trip around the Rockies, we spotted two people standing by their car inconspicuously. It turns out, as we pulled in to see what they were up to, they had spotted a female black bear feeding on spilt grain in a rest area.
After observing the adult bear for a while, one, two, then three cubs emerged from the bushes to join her. We were very fortunate to have around thirty minutes watching the family of bears, without disturbing them, as the tiny cubs played and fought together.
When we returned the next day, a larger, cinnamon-coloured male black bear had taken their place – and the family had retreated up a tree. The male ate for a short while, then departed, before the family slowly came back down again.
Bear necessities
I have found a consensus – among people I have spoken to – that bear spray should be taken on walks in bear territory. Using the spray on may seem cruel, even in self-defence. The alternative, though, may be worse for both human and bears. Many bears that are found to attack humans, even just once, will be tracked by authorities and killed. Bear spray may save their life, as well as yours.
General advice around bears is to remain calm in an encounter. Don’t approach bears – and give those in your path a wide berth. Don’t run from a curious bear, as this may encourage it to chase you. Instead, if too close for comfort, back away slowly while facing it. You can find in-depth advice from BearWise.org.
When you mistake a black bear for a grizzly
Please note this video was taken from a distance of around 30 metres, which was relatively safe considering we were stood next to our car and ready to jump straight back inside. In fact, we did just that.
Wild bears, even cinnamon-coloured black bears, can be very dangerous. Be cautious, given them space and don’t alarm them.