Grizzly bear encounter @ Denali National Park
Grizzly bear encounter @ Denali National Park

Denali National Park is a wild and wonderful place to explore. The park covers six million acres of Alaskan wilderness bisected by a single ribbon of road. Tourists traveling the road experience the low lying taiga forest turn into to high alpine tundra and culminate in snowy mountains including North America’s tallest peak (Denali 20,310 feet).

Since its inception in 1917, Denali has remained mostly devoid of human development and is home to wild animals large and small. This includes a healthy population of grizzly bears. Denali wildlife technician Gregory Colligan advises visitors not to begin a trip hoping to avoid bears, rather to expect they will encounter them and be prepared for the event.

The following video was taken along Denali Park Road which runs 92 miles east to west. Off trail hiking is available in the park but the only established trails are near the park road and the park entrance. Park rangers were on the scene at the Teklanika River Rest Area as a grizzly bear walked around the river below. The rangers monitored the bear while keeping an eye on visitors observing it. The camera was rolling when a group of women came into view across the river just as the grizzly emerged from the brush directly behind them. Startled by the presence of the grizzly, the women froze in place. Thankfully the rangers were in shouting distance and instructed the group to raise their hands and make themselves as big as possible.

Clearly this group either forgot proper grizzly bear encounter protocol in the heat of the moment or were unaware of how to handle the situation despite being in a zone well known for its grizzly activity. Visiting Denali can be a life changing experience but it is essential that visitors are fully prepared for all contingencies:

“Your preparation to react properly to an encounter with a grizzly bear could be the difference between a good campfire story and serious injury or death.” -Gregory Colligan

Alaska Department of Fish & Game Bear Safety Guidelines:

Dealing with Close Encounters

If you see a bear, avoid it and give the bear every opportunity to avoid you. If you do encounter a bear, remain calm and try to observe what the bear is doing. Chances are good you are not in danger. Most bears are interested only in protecting food, cubs or their “personal space.” Once they feel there is no threat, they will move on. Remember the following:

If You See a Bear

  • If the bear appears not to have sensed you, move away without alerting it. Keep your eyes on the bear.
  • If the bear does notice you, face the bear, stand your ground and talk to it calmly. Let the bear know you are human. Talk in a normal voice. Help the bear recognize you. Try to appear larger by standing close to others in your group or wave your arms slowly above your head. Try to back away slowly, but if the bear follows, stop and hold your ground. Prepare your deterrent if you have one.
  • If a bear cannot tell what you are, it may come closer or stand on its hind legs to get a better look or smell. A standing bear is usually curious, not threatening.
  • If you take the above actions and the bear continues to focus on you or approach, you should become more assertive: raise your voice, beat on pans, use noisemakers, throw rocks or sticks. Use your deterrent if you have one. Drive a bear off rather than let it follow you. If you are with others, group together to look big and stand your ground.

Surprise Encounters

  • If you surprise a bear at close distance, it may feel threatened and act defensively, especially if it has cubs or food. Continue to stand your ground. If the bear moves away, walk away slowly, keeping your eyes on the bear. Increase your distance.

Never Run

  • You can’t outrun a bear. Bears can run much faster than a sprinter and, like dogs, they will chase fleeing animals. A charging bear might come within a few feet before running off. It’s important to stand your ground.

In the Rare Event of an Attack

If a bear makes contact, you have two choices: play dead or fight back. The best choice depends on whether the bear is acting defensively or is seeking food.

  • Most brown bear attacks are a defensive response. Play dead in defensive situations: Hit the ground and lie still if a brown bear you have surprised or any female bear protecting cubs makes contact. Lie flat on your stomach, legs spread apart for stability, with your hands protecting the back of your neck. A defensive bear usually ends its attack if it feels you are not a threat. Remain motionless for as long as possible. If you move, and the bear sees or hears you, it may return and renew its attack. In a prolonged attack, fight back.
  • Fight back in other situations: Rarely, lone black bears or brown bears may perceive a person as potential food. Fight any bear that has been calmly focused on you and makes contact or that breaks into a tent or building. In almost all situations, your best defense against an attacking black bear is to fight back. Concentrate on the bear’s face or muzzle with anything you have on hand.

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