Grizzly bear encounters in Alaska’s Katmai National Park are commonplace, especially on the trails near Brook’s Falls where bears can find a reliable source of calories during the annual sockeye run. Tourists who visit Katmai are advised to expect grizzly encounters and be prepared for the eventuality as approximately 2,200 of them call this incredible place home.
The grizzly bears of Katmai are very much wild but have been conditioned to avoid human contact due to the vigilant work of park staff. Ultimately visitors safety is dependent on their own actions and Katmai advises “one of your best defenses against bears is your brain.” The more you understand about bears, the safer you can be and preparing mentally for bear encounters is one of the most important steps you can take to keep yourself safe.
This trail runner was very much prepared to meet a grizzly bear and handled the situation well. He did not panic and run and was careful to maintain a calm voice so as not to escalate the bear’s reaction while making it aware of his presence. He attempted to give the grizzly plenty of room to pass but the bear casually pursued him off the trail. Only after the bear had backed him into place where he felt threatened did he raise his voice. Hard to say if the change of verbal demeanor or the sight of bear spray were the determining factors to let this bear know to it was time to be on its way but thankfully it took the hint and continued onto the sockeye hunting ground.
“I was running in Katmai National Park and ran into this brown bear. The bear was almost certainly traveling to Brook’s Falls for the sockeye run. I got off the road to let it pass but it followed me off. At this point I was in a dominance struggle with this curious bear and ended up hazing it off without my bear spray. Although I was ready to spray the bear, I didn’t want to because I didn’t want it to be too stressed near Brook’s River that it wouldn’t go for the salmon run.”
Remember, the best defense against grizzly danger in Katmai is knowledge, preparation, and prevention. Arming yourself with knowledge about bear biology, ecology, and behavior will prepare yourself mentally for bear encounters before you visit Katmai and help you take action when you are in the park to prevent bear encounters.
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Grizzly Bear Safety Guidelines:
Seeing a grizzly bear can be a memorable experience, yet it can also be a dangerous one without proper precautions. We need the help of the public to keep bears wild and people safe. Approaching, disturbing, feeding, or unethically viewing grizzly bears is likely to have negative and dangerous outcomes for both bears and people. We remind visitors and residents in bear country to remain vigilant in grizzly bear country. Most grizzly bear conflicts can be avoided by practicing the basic bear safety guidelines. Approaching, feeding, or otherwise disturbing grizzly bears not only poses a significant threat to humans and bear safety – these behaviors are also a federal offense under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).
The most common human-bear conflicts involve unsecured attractants, such as garbage and human food. Protect yourself and bears by staying alert and following these guidelines:
- Never approach bears, always remain at least 100 yards (300 feet) away, or about the length of a football field
- Practice ethical wildlife viewing by remaining a safe distance and never disturbing natural behaviors
- Never feed, leave food for, or make food accessible to bears
- Store food, garbage, barbecue grills, and other attractants in locked hard-sided vehicles or bear-resistant storage boxes
- Carry bear spray, know how to use it, and make sure it is accessible
- Hike or ski in groups of three or more, stay on maintained trails and make noise
- Avoid hiking at dusk, dawn, or at night
- Do not run if you encounter a bear
- Instead of traditional bird feeders, set up birdhouses or birdbaths, plant native flowers, or set up hanging flower baskets for hummingbirds
- Keep chickens and other small livestock properly secured using electric fencing or keep them inside a closed shed with a door
- Report bear sightings, encounters, and conflicts immediately to your state or tribal wildlife management agency