Eventful day for trained field geologist Zol Kenney who experienced two separate encounters with a juvenile grizzly bear while hiking the Upper Kananaskis Lake Trail in Alberta, Canada.
His first encounter with the bear (estimated to be two years old) happened about 3 miles west of Rawson Creek Bridge. Bear spray in hand, Kenney backed away matching speed with approaching bear while using an assertive but calm voice to make his intentions clear. He finally stood his ground the grizzly backed down:
After his brush with the juvenile grizzly, Kenney decided to cancel the hike and head back to the trailhead. After a few minutes of hiking he came across two more hikers and he warned them that there was grizzly in the area. After some discussion they decided to merge groups for added safety and make their way out together. As they continued on towards the trailhead, the grizzly once again appeared and once again Kenney took the lead the kept his composure during the encounter.
As a field biologist, Kenney had taken “Bear Awareness” courses and this in fact was not his first time dealing with grizzly bears in the backcountry. You can tell his training kicked in evidenced by his calm demeanor and clarity of action during the tensest of moments. The grizzly once again decided it wasn’t interested and safely diverted around the group. Everyone including the bear came away that unharmed. Well done.
If you listen carefully you can hear them identify the grizzly as #170. While this is unconfirmed, GB #170 is collared and was singled out as a low conflict level grizzly bear based on the Wind River Bear Institutes bear shepherding protocols and was subjected to “Aversion Conditioning” to increase the wariness of bears when interacting with the public. This practice is done through the delivery of noise and pain stimuli when bears attempt to enter into developed areas.
PARKS CANADA GUIDELINES FOR ENCOUNTERING BEARS:
The Canadian Rocky and Columbia Mountains are home to both grizzly and black bears. You can run into a bear anywhere here, be it on a busy trail close to town or in the remote backcountry. Bears generally prefer to avoid people. However, encounters between bears and people do occur.
If you SEE a bear
Stop and remain calm. Get ready to use your bear spray. Do not run away.
Is the bear UNAWARE of your presence?
Move away quietly without getting its attention.
Is the bear AWARE of your presence?
Bears may bluff their way out of an encounter by charging and then turning away at the last second. Bears may also react defensively by woofing, growling, snapping their jaws and laying their ears back.
- Stay calm. Your calm behaviour can reassure the bear. Screams or sudden movements may trigger an attack.
- Speak to the bear. Talk calmly and firmly. This lets the bear know you are human and not a prey animal. If a bear rears on its hind legs and waves its nose about, it is trying to identify you.
- Back away slowly. Never run! Running may trigger a pursuit.
- Make yourself appear BIG. Pick up small children and stay in a group.
- Do not drop your pack. It can provide protection.
If you must proceed, make a wide detour around a bear or wait at a safe distance for it to move on.
If the bear APPROACHES
Stop and remain calm. Get ready to use your bear spray. Do not run away. Assess the bear’s behaviour and determine why it is approaching.
Is it DEFENSIVE?
The bear is feeding, protecting its young and/or surprised by your presence. It sees you as a threat. The bear will appear stressed or agitated and may vocalize.
- Try to appear non-threatening.
- Talk in a calm voice.
- When the bear stops advancing, start slowly moving away.
- If it keeps coming closer, stand your ground, keep talking, and use your bear spray.
- If the bear makes contact, fall on the ground and play dead. Lie still and wait for the bear to leave.
Is it NON-DEFENSIVE?
A bear may be curious, after your food, or testing its dominance. In the rarest case, it might be predatory–seeing you as potential prey. All of these non-defensive behaviours can appear similar and should not be confused with defensive behaviours.
The bear will be intent on you with head and ears up.
- Talk in a firm voice.
- Move out of the bear’s path.
- If it follows you, stop and stand your ground.
- Shout and act aggressively.
- Try to intimidate the bear.
- If it approaches closely, use your bear spray.
Handling an ATTACK
Most encounters with bears end without injury. If a bear actually makes contact, you may increase your chances of survival by following these guidelines. In general, there are 2 kinds of attack:
Defensive
This is the most COMMON type of attack.
- Use your bear spray.
- If the bear makes contact with you: PLAY DEAD!
PLAY DEAD! Lie on your stomach with legs apart and position your arms so that your hands are crossed behind your neck. This position makes you less vulnerable to being flipped over and protects your face, the back of your head and neck. Remain still until you are sure the bear has left the area.
These defensive attacks are generally less than two minutes in duration. If the attack continues, it may mean it has shifted from defensive to predatory—FIGHT BACK!
Predatory
The bear is stalking (hunting) you along a trail and then attacks. Or, the bear attacks you at night. This type of attack is very RARE.
- Try to escape into a building, car or up a tree.
- If you cannot escape, do not play dead.
- Use your bear spray and FIGHT BACK.
FIGHT BACK! Intimidate that bear: shout; hit it with a branch or rock, do whatever it takes to let the bear know you are not easy prey. This kind of attack is very rare, but it is serious because it usually means the bear is looking for food and preying on you.
