Are you afraid of a bear?

Wide Tisovac forest area that overlooks your Doluš accommodation is a brown bear’s habitat. Some visitors have asked is it safe to walk through the forest or should they go to Medveja stena hiking trip at all? Are YOU afraid of a bear? Bears have acute senses and are extremely suspicious. It is a rare occasion that a bear will let you meet him. Seeing a brown bear in his natural habitat is a rare privilege. A quiet encounter with bear could indicate that you are more than just a guest in his woods. It trasformes a usual hiking visitor to the habitat to feeling like a part of the habitat. However, the more often situation is that bear just didn’t managed to hide himself form you in time. 🙂

It would be lame excuse if fearing of encountering a bear limits or even spoils your hiking trip or forest stroll. Some basic information awarness and responsible behavior while walking through bear’s habitat should prevent all your fears. There are few guidelines on how to avoid bear and other big carnivores encounter. If you find out that something is missing in the text please let me know.

How ro reduce the risk of close brown bear encounters

1. Make your presence known to forest inhabitants while you are hiking. In some areas of the world people use small bells hanged on their clothes for this reason. But it would be better for you to make noise such as talking with your group. Don’t be too loud: quiet talking, whistling or singing would be just fine.

2. Never feed bears or other wild animals! Always pack all your food and garbage, dispose it properly taking it away with you. Don’t leave your packs, food or garbage in the forest. Remove all reason for a bear to visit your location looking for food. Carnivors easily use to easy meal found in human garbage, and could become very dangerous.

3. Hiking in midday will reduce the chance of unpleasant encountering a bear. Wild animals are less active at that time of the day.

4. Stay on trails. Bears know human paths and they will avoid encounter. Wide forest areas without human trails are wild animals hideaway, let us respect their peace.
5.  Control your dog while walking in woods. Keep it by you walking calmly on trails. If necessary, put your dog on a leash to avoid conflicts with wildlife. Bear disturbed by dogs often become aggressive.

6. If you spot a bear in the distance: let it go. You should simply back away slowly, the same direction from which you came. Talk in a calm voice to announce your presence. It is pointless to risk by following a bear. You should avoid frighten bear changing it’s natural behavior of avoidance to aggression. It is especially dangerous to approach courious and fearless young cubs. It is well known that female bear becomes aggressive if she feel her cubs are threatened. So don’t go any closer keeping your eyes open for cubs.

7. In the case of a close encounter with a brown bear you should use a stern voice to convince it to leave. Literature warns it’s important to avoid panic, as frantical screaming may scare the bear and cause it to attack. If a bear raises up on its hind legs, it is usually just trying to get more information. In the same time bear’s intention is to frigthten the intrudor (it always works). Try to look as big as you can, raising your hands or your hiking stick above your head. You need to convince the bear that you are not a threat neither an easy prey. Try not to make eye contact. You should back away without panicking, keeping your eye on a bear, talking to it calmly hoping the animal will leave. Don’t run. Try to not act like a pray running away in panic as this can activate the bear’s hunting instincts.

8. What if a brown bear does attack you? In all available literature, the only advice is to fight back for your life. Try to hit the most sensitive areas on bear’s face (eyes, nose). An strong hiking stick, branch, or a rock could be used as weapons. However you can invest in some bear spray before entering bear’s country. You can buy it in hunting shops. You must consider that bear spray is not a magical weapon. But it can confuse the predator and give you the chance to run away.

In the end, find some more valuable information about brown bear and other big carnivores of Gorski kotar region in a LEAFLET  published by Public Institution for the Protected Areas of Nature Management.