Should You Be Afraid of Bears?

I like bears.  I think they are amazing animals.  


Up here in the north, bears hibernate.  That means that they sleep when it is cold.  Here in Canada and Alaska, bears hibernate for seven months.  That's a LONG time!  When they hibernate, they don't eat, or drink, or go to the bathroom.  


When bears wake up, they are very hungry.  They eat most of the time when they are awake.


Bears have very good noses.  Their nose is 100 times better than my nose.  And my nose is 70 times better than yours.


Bears are also very smart and curious.  


Most importantly, bears are very powerful.  They are also very fast.  They can run much faster than a boy or girl.


Because bears are almost always hungry, and have good noses, and are very smart, it is important for us to know how to keep them and us safe.


First, never feed a bear.  Also, never leave food where a bear can get it.  If a bear begins to like human food, he may become dangerous.


When you hike in bear country, it is important to make a lot of noise.  Most bears will move out of your way if they know that you are in the area.


Also, never get between a mother bear and her baby.  She may think that you want to hurt her baby.  If she does, she may hurt you to keep her baby safe.


I think that we need to respect bears, not to fear them.  Once we learn how to be careful around bears, the bears and we will all be a lot safer!


Here are some great activities to keep you and bears safe in bear country:

http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/static/species/livingwithwildlife/bears/pdfs/bearawarecoloring.pdf

and

http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/stdprodconsume/groups/lr/@mnr/@bearwise/documents/document/mnr_e000047.pdf