As a former Whistler Bear Aware coordinator, I am disheartened to see recent posts of people disrespecting the boundaries of bears in the village.
Bears are in a crucial time of their calorie consumption for the winter. In the summer, a black bear consumes 8,000 calories a day. They burn 6,000 a day and about 4,000 a day during hibernation. In the fall, their calorie intake jumps to 15,000 to 20,000 a day. This change of intake is called hyperphagia.
A sow not only has to gain enough weight for hibernation, but the number of cubs she will birth that winter greatly depends on her calorie intake in the fall. After mating in the spring, her eggs suspend in her system until November. At that time her body determines how many eggs will drop and develop depending on how much weight she has gained over the fall to support herself during hibernation, multiple cub birth in the cave, and for breast feeding.
The race is on in the fall to gain as much weight as possible.
The alpine is currently covered with snow so a good food supply is scarce. Now is when a tired bear will resort to a village to find garbage scraps and restaurant grease traps. He/she can gain their calories a lot faster this way.
Therefore, not only is a sow trying to gain weight quickly to go hibernate, ovulate, and eventually give birth, the bear is also exhausted.
Imagine what these bears are going through.
Add in the mix, a drunken idiot in the village, who thinks it’s funny to stand close to a bear and poke at it verbally as well as get too close to it, which will eventually cause conflict. This causes so much stress for the bear and can result in unnecessarily losing more calories and/or unnecessary human/bear conflict.
Relocation doesn’t work this time of the year because a bear will lose calories just to get back to their territory, which makes their situation worse and they will get into more conflict to find food. Or they will get so weak that if they run into a territorial male along the way, they could get killed.
I saw a video on Pique’s website of two men way too close to the bear AND the bear was eating something. It warned them as well. They were lucky.
The three major things to look for when you run into a bear are:
1. Is there food nearby or is it eating?
2. Does it have cubs nearby?
3. Are you blocking their exit?
This is all they care about. Do not bother them or block them from these needs.
A bear can run 35 m.p.h., whereas an average human can run four to six m.p.h. So trying to outrun a bear is not possible. Even when they are slower and tired in the fall.
Bears are more predictable than dogs. They will warn you with a slap on the ground and grunting. If that doesn’t work, they will fake charge you. They are very fair with their warnings and usually on average will give off about three to five warnings. If you are very close to their cubs or food, you may not get a warning.
If you don’t listen to them, eventually they will hurt you. When this happens, the bear is destroyed and future cubs within her. All for what? Some entertainment and a FB video post?
If you encounter a black bear:
1. Don’t run away. Running will trigger the bear’s predatory instincts and make an attack more likely.
2. Slowly move sideways away from the bear.
3. If the bear follows, stop moving and hold your ground. Put your arms up in the air to look bigger.
4. Talk to the bear as you walk away slowly. Tell them they are good, that you are leaving, and that they have nothing to worry about.
Make as much noise as possible from your mouth. I.e. talk or sing to the bear. Or shout,“go away bear!” They do not relate humans to bear bells.
Do not tease it or stop too closely to film it. Absolutely do not feed bears. This conditions them to humans and results in conflict.
Look to make sure you are not blocking the bear from food/exit/cubs.
We live in bear country. This is their land. Respect and love them. Most of all, enjoy their magnificent beauty and power.
For more info on bears visit bearsmart.com.
