by Cat Urbigkit
Later that fall, a Pennsylvania man was involved in hand-to-paw combat with a black bear that chased his dog inside the family home in the wee hours before dawn. Switching its attention from the dog to the man, the bear and man brawled inside the living room until the man’s wife entered the room and was also attacked. The man continued fighting the bear until the bear stopped the attack on him and ran out the open door. Unfortunately, the wife had retreated outside and was once again attacked by the bear. Then, for some reason, the bear stopped the attack. The bear left the area, and the couple did eventually recover from their wounds.
Although most attacks in the summer of 2011 occurred in the dark of night, there were two notable exceptions. In the first case, a seventy-two-year-old Native American woman—a treasured tribal elder—was mauled to death by a black bear outside her home in a remote area of British Columbia in July 2011. Bears had been frequenting her remote property—even attempting to gain entrance to her home—prior to the fatal attack. Tribal officials had determined the animals were problem bears that should be destroyed, but the woman had protested against their destruction. By the time her body was discovered, bears had fed on her remains, and four black bears were killed at the scene in the following days.
The second daytime case in 2011 took place in Arizona. Arizona officials were challenged by a large number of predatory black bear attacks in both 2011 and 2012. In 2011, a sixty-one-year-old woman was walking her dog at a country club northeast of Phoenix when she was attacked by a 250-pound male black bear. Witnesses and motorists saw the attack and used their vehicles to scare the bear away from the initial attack, but the predatory bear returned to maul the victim two more times before she could be rescued. The bear, which had been seen scavenging for food in a dumpster prior to the attack, was tracked and killed by wildlife officials. Sadly, four weeks after being mauled, the woman died from a massive brain hemorrhage resulting from the attack.
Several of the 2012 attacks involved bears attacking humans as they slept. In late May 2012, a seventy-four-year-old Arizona woman was asleep in a tent with her husband and dog in the Ponderosa Campground of the Tonto National Forest, east of Payson, Arizona, when a black bear ripped its way into the tent and clawed at her, leaving her with lacerations on her scalp. She was treated at a local hospital for her injuries and released. A large, adult black bear had been seen around the campsite dumpsters the evening prior to the attack, and had been chased off by the campsite host, only to return early the next morning to seek the woman out in her tent. Federal officials responded to the attack by closing the campground and calling in animal control specialists to track the bear. State wild-life officials acknowledged the bear was a threat to human safety so it had to be lethally removed, but the bear was not found. The campground was reopened two weeks later.
A month after the Ponderosa Campground bear attack, and just one mile away, a twenty-nine-year-old man sleeping on a cot in an uncompleted cabin was startled awake during the night as a black bear pounced on him, biting his leg. The man hollered to his buddy sleeping nearby that something had attacked him. The bear had retreated in response to the commotion, but soon looked back through the open window at the men. The men yelled and chased the bear away, returning to the cabin to go back to sleep, but alerted authorities to the attack the next morning.
A day later, back at the Ponderosa Campground, a bear mauled and injured a thirty-year-old man as he slept in a tent with his girlfriend and her small child. The bear then wandered into a neighboring campsite, where a camper reportedly shot at it with a handgun. The bear was not found. Forest service officials closed three campgrounds and prohibited overnight use in two others in the area, publicly declaring: “We simply cannot ensure camper safety in these areas and need to take more immediate steps to protect the public.”
Three black bears were lethally removed from the area, but DNA testing of bear hair samples collected from the attack sites did not provide positive confirmation that any of the animals that were killed were those that had been actually involved in the attacks. State wildlife officials pledged to continue searching for the offending bear or bears, noting, “The offending animals’ actions are bold and extremely predatory in nature, and still remain a threat.”
Although it appears that the victims involved in the Arizona black bear attacks in 2012 had taken proper safety precautions, Arizona Game and Fish Department officers believe that the bear responsible for the attacks had already been habituated and conditioned to people, and had come to expect to find food or garbage in human-inhabited areas. The result was a human-predatory black bear that mauled three victims. Bear researchers speculate that black bears that become increasingly aggressive in going after human food or garbage have an increased chance of initiating a serious or fatal attack on humans, an assertion that certainly seems to have played out in Arizona in 2011 and 2012.
At 7:30 a.m. on September 14, 2012, a man was sleeping in his tent in Montana’s Bob Marshall Wilderness when a black bear jumped on his tent, collapsing it, and then tore through the fabric as it began mauling the man. The man sprayed the bear with pepper spray, ending the attack. The bear remained in the area until a US Forest Service employee and trail crew arrived on the scene and hazed the bear away. A helicopter flew the victim out of the area for medical treatment.
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks investigator Brian Sommers noted that the bear “displayed behavior consistent with food conditioning and habituation.” The bear was killed about 70 yards from the scene of the attack, as it was in the process of moving back toward the tent where the attack occurred.
“This was a predatory attack by this black bear,” Sommers said.
The mauling victim recovered from his injuries. The 185-pound adult male black bear was reported to be in good condition, and pepper spray was evident on the animal’s fur.
Maine wildlife officials recorded nearly 900 bear-related complaints in 2012. And while the state does boast the largest population of black bears in the continental United States, this number was more than double from the year before.
Black Bear Complaints Rise as Attacks Continue
In mid-May 2013, Joe Azougar was enjoying breakfast on the porch of his cabin in northern Ontario when a large adult black bear approached, quickly killing Azougar’s dog as it played outside. Azougar retreated inside his small cabin, but the bear pursued him in a clearly predatory attack, busting through a window to get inside. Azougar fled outside, but the bear chased and caught him. Although Azougar put up a fight, he was soon weakened by the numerous injuries inflicted by the bear, and by the time two women drove by and witnessed the attack, the bear was dragging a bloodied and limp Azougar into a ditch. The women approached in their vehicle, honking the horn to scare the bear, which released its hold on the man and retreated. The women managed to get the still-conscious Azougar loaded into the vehicle and hurried him to a hospital for treatment of his injuries, from which he recovered. The predatory bear was shot and killed later that day by an official with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources.
A month prior, Ontario officials had issued a press release reminding citizens to call 911 if a black bear poses an immediate threat to personal safety by exhibiting threatening or aggressive behavior, such as entering a school yard while school is in session; stalking people and lingering at the site; entering or trying to enter a residence; wandering into a public gathering; or killing pets or livestock and lingering at the site.
The presence of a dog was noted in a second bear attack later that month, but hundreds of miles away. Also in May 2013, a Wisconsin man was attacked by a black bear outside a cabin after attempting to save his dog from the bruin. The man’s wife grabbed a shotgun and hit the bear over the head with it. The man and woman escaped into the cabin, but the bear continued to circle the cabin until a sheriff’s deputy arrived and killed the animal.
In June 2013, sixty-four-year-old Robert Weaver and his wife had just motored up to the dock outside their c
abin on George Lake, located in a remote region of interior Alaska, and had begun walking toward their cabin when they spotted a bear. They yelled at the bear and it moved to the nearby brush, but continued to watch them. When the bear began its attack, Robert Weaver yelled at his wife to run. She escaped into the safety of their cabin, but Weaver was fatally mauled. While a wildlife trooper was investigating the scene, the bear returned, sneaking up on investigators, and the trooper shot and killed the animal at close range. An examination of the bear’s stomach contents confirmed that this was the same bear that had killed Weaver. The bear was a healthy older male, weighing about 230 pounds. State officials deemed this a predatory attack—an attack involving an adult bear that pursued humans as prey.
The frequency of such predatory attacks seems to be increasing. In July 2013, an aggressive black bear attacked a man on a Mission, British Columbia, trail as the man walked during the evening. The bear apparently appeared on the trail at close range; the man turned to run, but the bear grabbed him by the leg. The man pulled himself up on a nearby fence and managed to get over the top. Passing traffic helped to deter the bear, which was still intent on getting to the man, and the animal fled back into the forest.
In August 2013, a twelve-year-old girl was attacked by a black bear as she jogged near her home in Cadillac, Michigan. The girl played dead and the bear eventually left her. When she got up to run, screaming for help, the bear returned, but the girl’s neighbors were able to scare it away. The girl received injuries, but recovered from her wounds. State wildlife officials noted their belief that this was an unprovoked attack, and although a black bear was killed a few miles from the attack site, DNA tests revealed it was not the bear responsible for the attack.
Florida closed out 2013 with not just an increase in the number of complaints about black bears in neighborhoods, but also with the most serious black bear attack on a human in the state’s history. A fifty-four-year-old woman, who lived in a gated community in central Florida, had just stepped outside her door one early December evening to walk her two dogs when the bear charged her from the bushes nearby. The woman received severe injuries to her head and face as she fought back, and was eventually rescued by neighbors after the bear retreated and the injured woman made her way to a neighbor’s doorstep.
Other residents had complained about numerous encounters with bears in the residential area in the weeks leading up to the attack. Some had taken measures to secure garbage and other items that could attract bears, and others carried foghorns to deter bears when sighted. Residents saw bears on a frequent basis, taking photographs and videos. Bears reportedly approached cars and homes, looking in windows and attempting to break inside.
After the attack, state wildlife officials trapped and removed several black bears from the neighborhood before determining that an adult female black bear had been responsible for the attack. They speculated that the sow, a mother with three cubs, could have been a protective mother that attacked because it felt threatened upon encountering the woman. The sow and two of her three cubs were captured and placed into captivity.
Florida’s bear population has risen to 3,000 animals, and state law prohibits the killing of black bears in the state, unless the action is necessary to avoid an imminent threat of death or serious bodily injury. It appears that these particular predators—protected from persecution—had lost their fear of mankind, and the result was the eventual attack on a human. Thankfully, the Florida woman survived the attack.
Educating the Public
As bear populations continue to expand into new areas, or into areas that haven’t seen bears for decades, wildlife managers are taking aggressive action to educate residents about being “bear wise.” State by state, wildlife officials have launched interagency educational campaigns to help residents adjust to life with bears. The programs emphasize removal of items that can serve as bear attractants (from bird feeders to overflowing garbage), and often include encouragement of the use of bear-proof garbage cans in residential areas bears are known to frequent.
But even an educated public may not agree with the need for agency action when it comes to dealing with conflict bears. In some cases, animal advocates protest agency action that results in the killing of bears involved in conflicts. While wildlife managers are faced with trying to protect public safety, members of this same public actively try to hinder that effort. When a female black bear began breaking into numerous homes through doors and windows in New Jersey in the fall of 2012, agency officials determined the animal was dangerous and killed it. Her cubs were captured and placed in a captive wildlife center. Local animal rights activists held a “memorial service” and public protest over the killing of the dangerous bear.
Bear-human conflicts have become so widespread that various state wildlife agencies are undertaking research projects in an attempt to get a better understanding of the situation, and to develop possible solutions to alleviate conflicts. Preliminary research has provided surprising information about the number of bears in some urban areas. For example, Colorado Parks and Wildlife have been radio-collaring black bears within a six-mile radius of downtown Durango in the southwestern portion of the state. Their efforts have resulted in the tracking of more than 300 bears in a region of high-quality urban bear habitat. With a better knowledge of where bears are roaming, state wildlife managers are able to target educational efforts and create “bear-wise” communities.
With black bear populations in at least forty states (and across Canada and northern Mexico), there are few places where this species faces threats to its existence. With most black bear populations reported as stable or increasing, there is ample opportunity for conflicts between humans and bears as the two species overlap and interact. State wildlife agencies have few management options outside of regulated hunting (where hunting is allowed). Instead, conflict situations often result in the lethal removal of the bear.
LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE ATTACKS
Every year, humans receive injuries from attacks by black bears in North America. But there are important findings to draw from the analysis of these attacks, according to Herrero and his colleagues:
Smaller parties of only one or two people are more likely to be attacked.
People of all ages and sexes are victims of bear attacks.
No specific activity is associated with fatal attacks.
No one killed in a black bear attack carried bear spray.
Many attacks are initiated by black bears associating food with or seeking food rewards from humans.
Most fatal attacks are predatory and are carried out by one bear.
Male black bears are responsible for most predatory attacks.
Most bears that prey on people are selectively removed from the bear population, reducing the risk of such continued behavior in that population.
A food-stressed bear may be more likely to attempt predation on humans, although most bears involved in fatal attacks on humans were healthy.
There were no recorded cases of a black bear killing a human in defense of an animal carcass.
Avoiding
Black Bear Conflicts
You need to take some precautionary measures to avoid conflicts with black bears. Before you go out, gather together a few safety items, such as a whistle or air horn, and a can of bear spray. Have these items readily accessible for outside excursions and learn how to use the bear spray, including understanding its limitations.
The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources recommends that if you encounter a bear at a distance, stop what you are doing and try to remain calm. Do not panic. Closely watch the bear while slowly backing away. Do not move closer for a better look or photo. Do not try to escape by running, climbing a tree, or swimming away.
In response to a surprise encounter with a human, a black bear may rise onto its hind legs to get a better look at you and to gather your scent, according to Yellowstone National Park bear officials. A bear’s behavior can be terrifying, but gen
erally, the noisier a bear is, the more it is warning you. The bear may be salivating, clacking its teeth together, showing its lips, or noisily huffing or exhaling while making loud, moaning sounds. The bear may lay its ears back along its lowered head. It may slap the ground with its front paws, threatening you to back off.
If you are in a position to have a surprise or close encounter with a bear, and it has provided warning signs, you need to respond to these cues. Do not behave aggressively in return. Get your bear spray ready for use, while talking quietly to the bear in a monotone voice and backing away. Do not turn your back to the bear, and don’t make direct eye contact with the bear. If you are near a building, car, or other shelter, get inside.
If the bear continues to advance toward you and does not leave even though it has an escape route and ample time, you may be in imminent danger. Bear attacks are rare, but obviously they do occur. A predatory bear may approach you very quietly, as it would with other prey, and may continue to approach you, regardless of the evasive tactic you take.
If a black bear continues to approach you aggressively, yell loudly and wave your arms to make yourself look bigger. If you have another person with you, do this side by side. Be as loud as you can, using whistles or air horns, and throw whatever objects you can at the bear. Spray the bear with pepper spray—the spray is both an attack deterrent and your last resort. Do anything you can to distract the bear at this point.
Black bears often do short, bluff charges in sudden encounters with humans. As soon as the bear starts to charge, stop backing away and stand your ground. If the bear gets close, use your pepper spray on the charging bear.
Start spraying a two-second blast when the bear is between 30 to 60 feet away, holding the can with both hands and spraying from side to side to make a cloud for the bear to encounter. If the bear keeps charging, keep spraying!