How to stay bear safe when hiking, camping: ‘Leave the dogs at home’
Global News
Bear sightings increase every fall as they become more active in searching for food ahead of hibernating, meaning the chances of encountering one rise significantly.
In a tragic and rare incident, a grizzly bear attack claimed the lives of a Canadian couple and their dog in Banff National Park late last week, shedding light on the importance of staying vigilant when exploring the wilderness.
Bear sightings increase every fall as they become more active in searching for food ahead of hibernating, meaning the chances of encountering these massive animals while going for a hike or camping rise significantly.
“In the fall bears are experiencing hyperphagia, which means they’re hungry all the time. They want to put on body fat to hibernate for the next six months or so, and they’re looking for food and need to travel more,” said Mike McIntosh, founder and president of Bear With Us, an Ontario-based bear sanctuary.
“They’re looking to put on weight. That also makes them more likely to take advantage of human attractants such as birdseed, our food and garbage, or poorly-stored human food.”
Grizzly bear attacks are relatively rare, explained McIntosh, but when they do occur, they are often driven by self-defence instincts, like the protection of a food source or their cubs. But these attacks are seldom “just a full-out attack for no reason at all,” he said.
Parks Canada is still investigating what happened during the grizzly attack that killed two people and their dog Friday evening. The federal department on Tuesday said the couple had followed the right protocols, such as carrying bear spray and hanging their food properly at their campsite.
The incident marks the first deadly attack reported in Banff National Park in decades.
Nick de Ruyter is the WildSmart program director at the Biosphere Institute of the Bow Valley in Canmore, Alta. He understands that people may be apprehensive to hit the trails or go camping after hearing the tragic news but stresses the rarity of this incident.