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Grizzly bear kills couple and their dog at Banff National Park in Canada (www.cbsnews.com)

submitted 1 year ago by TheOneWithTheHair@lemmy.world to c/news@lemmy.world

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[-] Spasmolytic@lemm.ee 32 points 1 year ago

Fucking hell. My wife and I wanted to plan our next hiking trip and go to Banff, then started reading about the grizzly threat. It seemed real, and there are so many beautiful places to go, so we dropped it.

Then, about a week ago, a guy in the gym at work is telling me about his trip to Banff where they took their kids along too. I started thinking maybe we should go for it. Now I read this awful news. Suddenly it once more seems like a bad idea.

[-] Stabbitha@lemmy.world 22 points 1 year ago

Article says responders killed the bear, so technically it should be safer now...

[-] someguy3@lemmy.ca 9 points 1 year ago

Bear attacks are incredibly rare. Bears are usually docile creatures and don't want anything to do with humans.

[-] Spasmolytic@lemm.ee 8 points 1 year ago

Is that true of grizzlies? Seems to me they're only docile if they're full.

[-] someguy3@lemmy.ca 4 points 1 year ago

Yes.

[-] Steeve@lemmy.ca 3 points 1 year ago

This is making headline news because of how rare it is. Something to think about.

[-] Kalkaline@leminal.space 31 points 1 year ago

"only 14% of grizzly bear attacks are fatal" seems like this just downplays the danger. If a product on the shelves had "only 14%" chance of causing cancer people would be livid.

[-] Cosmonauticus@lemmy.world 33 points 1 year ago

Considering bears are 8ft long 900lbs killing machines an 86% survival rate is actually pretty fucking good.

Also if you're dumb enough to downplay the danger involving grizzly bears for any reason you're not going to live long anyway

[-] meco03211@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago

Pretty sure that is another way of saying 86% of people can successfully play dead.

Remember folks: If it's black, fight back. If it's brown, lie down. If it's white, goodnight.

[-] Pyr_Pressure@lemmy.ca 7 points 1 year ago

Except some black bears are brown, so fight back if it's a brown black bear and lie lie down if it's a brown not-black bear (grizzly)

[-] guyrocket@kbin.social 18 points 1 year ago

What an odd correlation: bear attacks and products on shelves.

Are you implying that people might want to purchase bear attacks? Like a carnival ride?

And there are a good number of products that do have a good chance of causing cancer...so...what was your point?

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[-] agent_flounder@lemmy.one 17 points 1 year ago

Ok, but how likely is a grizzly attack?

According to the US Natl Park Service it is 1 in 2.1 million. Dying from a bee sting is more likely.

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/150916-bears-attacks-animals-science-north-america-grizzlies

[-] Smoogs@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Well dying from a bee sting if you’re allergic is pretty common if you don’t have an epi pen. So yes, common.

There is a massive difference and approach to bears it on a special park Vs wild.

Over in your city folk safari zoo, in which you think you’re ‘in the wild’, you are not.

In the wild, Grizzlies will rip you. https://youtu.be/K-Tfq6dARGk?si=EQLh0ahqdzOVkRWJ

They are very fuckin dangerous. And very fuckin fast. They eat other grizzly bears without mercy too. Especially if there’s not enough salmon around.

In Canada kills by bears in the green belt is a known risk and they have procedures to try to lessen interference with the wild life for this reason. That’s the only reason why the deaths are down. It’s not like rural people are flaunting themselves at wildlife and have them as pets. The deaths start going up when city folk start wandering into the wild thinking every bear is a big ol puppy dog.

[-] agent_flounder@lemmy.one 4 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

If you have any statistics to provide I would love to see them.

Meanwhile, yes Grizzlies can be extremely dangerous on the rare occasion they attack. How dangerous they are doesn't change the odds of being attacked. It just means you're more likely fucked if one does attack you. It's ok to be scared shitless of them. I am. But don't let the fear taint your reasoning.

Here are some more statistics. Hopefully folks can set aside their fear for a moment and analyze the risk with a level head. Keep in mind the number of visitors to wild areas is quite large.

There were 183 bear attacks in North America between 2000–2015.
There are 40 bear attacks around the world every year.
The odds of being attacked by a bear are one in 2.1 million.
On average, 24 deaths were caused by grizzly bears between 2000–2015.
There were six fatal bear attacks in Alaska from 2008–2018.
There were 22 human-bear incidents in the US Yosemite National Park in 2019.

https://petpedia.co/bear-attack-statistics/

Oh and by the way if you think national parks are just zoos, please by all means go tell that up close to the free roaming wild moose and bears in Yellowstone or Elk in Rocky Mountain National Park, especially during the rut, and see how that works out for ya.

Being in the backcountry where you don't have as much wildlife management might be riskier. Although I would love to see statistics because many factors could play in. Bears being habituated to human presence and especially food is a major issue that increases bear encounters. So it's possible that backcountry encounters are rarer than in heavily visited parks.

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[-] pulaskiwasright@lemmy.ml 5 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

“Sharks don’t actually try to kill humans, they just get curious and take exploratory bites”

Obviously that’s not a direct quote, but I people say things like it in defense of sharks frequently.

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[-] HubertManne@kbin.social 4 points 1 year ago

Well also if your spine is cracked but your alive, its not fatal.

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[-] MadBob@feddit.nl 30 points 1 year ago

Interesting editorial choice to stick a photo of a sick sunrise in the middle of an article about a bear mauling.

[-] stopthatgirl7@kbin.social 12 points 1 year ago

See, stuff like this is why I stay inside. The bears can have the outdoors.

[-] guyrocket@kbin.social 15 points 1 year ago

The bears can share the outdoors with people. This story is light on details but bear spray is considered the best defense against bear.

I've camped many times in bear country and slept in a tent. I kept bear spray with me at all times and fortunately had no problems...knock on wood. Most of the time it is OK but you have to be intelligent about it. Don't leave food out, carry bear spray, stay away from bear as much as possible, etc.

Also, there are plenty of great outdoor places you can go that don't have bear. Not saying they're risk free, almost nowhere is risk free. But there are "safer" parks, etc. (not "safe", just "safer").

I would never want to be only stuck inside. There's too much amazing to see outside.

[-] meco03211@lemmy.world 7 points 1 year ago

Bear balls! That's what my wife and I use (along with bear spray and a 10mm). Little jingly balls you hook into your backpack. Now just walking makes a continuous noise.

[-] Very_Bad_Janet@kbin.social 4 points 1 year ago

Do bears not like bells? Wouldn't it draw them to you (like a dinner bell)?

[-] meco03211@lemmy.world 12 points 1 year ago

Most wild animals don't want random interactions with strange noises. They will avoid as much as possible. Grizzlies and black bears don't usually "hunt". I'm unsure how effective it would be with polar bears or if it would draw them in. But your prep for going to an area with polar bears should be not going to the area with polar bears.

[-] guyrocket@kbin.social 4 points 1 year ago

Avoid polar bear. Just stay away: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bear_danger

[-] amiuhle@feddit.de 3 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

What's the difference between black and brown bear poop?

spoiler

One has fruit stones in it, the other one contains bear bells.

Edit: it makes sense to make oneself heard, the worst thing that can happen is quietly walking around a corner and there's a bear with two cubs close by.

Bear bells are a bit annoying and clapping or just talking to each other also works. Humans are not considered bait for bears and they will usually try to avoid you.

There are good books about avoiding bear attacks when in the backcountry.

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[-] WhipTheLlama@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago

Staying inside is no defence against bears.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IT5LI21dY_4

[-] CascadeDismayed@lemmy.world 11 points 1 year ago

Should have brought a gun.

[-] guyrocket@kbin.social 25 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

No. Should have brought bear spray. Apparently the latest wisdom is that guns aren't very effective against bear but the spray is.

ETA: Here is Wikipedia on the subject: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bear_danger

[-] sudo22@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago

What? That link immediately refutes this claim in the next sentence "Although this claim has been disputed because of the 83 incidents in the Smith study[10] only 18 cases involved an aggressive bear, and of those 18 only 9 involved a charging bear."

[-] masterspace@lemmy.ca 12 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Good ol idiot gun nuts piping in to let us know that every problem can be solved with more guns.

[-] sudo22@lemmy.world 11 points 1 year ago

What are you on. Life and death situations are textbook uses for guns no matter how antigun rights you are.

[-] masterspace@lemmy.ca 7 points 1 year ago

If every back country hiker was strapped up we would have more deaths, not less.

[-] sudo22@lemmy.world 7 points 1 year ago

Okay bud. If you don't want to carry by all means no one is forcing you. But I'm going to protect my family when we camp or need to visit bear country for any reason.

[-] penguin@sh.itjust.works 3 points 1 year ago

Or just don't voluntarily go somewhere that could result in a "life or death" situation?

[-] sudo22@lemmy.world 5 points 1 year ago

If that's how you want to do it. Nature is dangerous sometimes. Shouldn't let that prevent you from seeing its beauty.

[-] staticblanket@lemmy.ca 3 points 1 year ago

Okay bud but this is Canada.

[-] sudo22@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago

Many guns are still legal in Canada.

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[-] AA5B@lemmy.world 5 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Or, how about avoiding those life and death situations? I’ll “stand my ground” that most bear attacks are caused by people. Don’t do that. Don’t be stupid and rely on blasting away to save your life. Bear bells, secure food storage away from people, not getting too close with your photo attempt, are much more effective

[-] sudo22@lemmy.world 5 points 1 year ago

Yes I agree do all of this, don't just shoot everything you see. But on the chance this fails or you make a mistake, you should have a gun as a last resort.

[-] CalamityBalls@kbin.social 5 points 1 year ago

From someone firmly against the proliferation of firearms, I think taking a gun on a camping trip where there might be bears is a pretty solid idea.

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[-] Hotdogman@lemmy.world 7 points 1 year ago

If they have the right to bear arms, so shall I.

[-] sudo22@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago

Agree but you need to be very mindful for the type of gun.

Any more typical pistol like 9mm, 380, 45ACP won't do much against a bear. 10mm high penetration rounds (ie not holopoints, hard cast is preferable) is probably the minimum I'd want if I can't carry a rifle in bear country.

[-] bingbong@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 1 year ago

A lot of common calibers really don't do much against a damn grizzly, those bastards have every possible cheat code active.

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this post was submitted on 02 Oct 2023

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