What's with all the recent Bear attacks??!!

[Ringel05]

Norway polar bear attack kills one Briton, injures four.

(CNN) -- One Briton has been killed and four other people severely injured in a polar bear attack in the Norwegian Arctic archipelago of Svalbard, officials said Friday.

The five were members of a British group who were at the Von Postbreen glacier, a statement on the Svalbard governor's website said. Their nationalities have not been confirmed.

Norway polar bear attack kills one Briton, injures four - CNN.com

 

[uscitizen]

Bears getting heat stroke? Or the Brits had just eaten a Milky Way?

 

[martybegan]

Norway polar bear attack kills one Briton, injures four.

(CNN) -- One Briton has been killed and four other people severely injured in a polar bear attack in the Norwegian Arctic archipelago of Svalbard, officials said Friday.

The five were members of a British group who were at the Von Postbreen glacier, a statement on the Svalbard governor's website said. Their nationalities have not been confirmed.

Norway polar bear attack kills one Briton, injures four - CNN.com

It probably has less to do with more bear attacks and more to do with the fact that there was one high profile one in Alaska, which then led to others reporting further incidents that they probably would have ignored except for the alaskan one.

Its the same thing that happens when you have any high profile event. Have a big bridge collapse, and smaller bridge failures make the news when they wouldn't have without the big event. A big shark attack leads to multiple stories on other shark attacks that wouldn't warrant attention without the big attack.

 

[Dabs]

I noticed a lot of news articles about bears attacking as well. I know around here, people are asked to NOT feed the bears, because that makes the bear want to approach people more often, thinking it's an easy way for food.
People think the bear cubs are so damn cute, and feed them, not knowing Mommy bear is watching.
Of course, this is prolly not the case for all bear attacks, and some of the others responded with great responses as well.
Or maybe their food has become slacking too, for other reasons??
Who knows really~

 

[martybegan]

I noticed a lot of news articles about bears attacking as well. I know around here, people are asked to NOT feed the bears, because that makes the bear want to approach people more often, thinking it's an easy way for food.
People think the bear cubs are so damn cute, and feed them, not knowing Mommy bear is watching.
Of course, this is prolly not the case for all bear attacks, and some of the others responded with great responses as well.
Or maybe their food has become slacking too, for other reasons??
Who knows really~

There is also a huge difference between a black bear attack and a brown/grizzly bear attack. Brown bears are far larger and more aggressive.

 

[Stashman]

I am not trying to make light of this at all for it is a very sad tragedy indeed, and my heart and prayers go out to those involved. I do want to point out though that these animals have done nothing that we didn't know they would do in the first place. Animals are territorial, and when we enter their grounds we shouldn't be surprised if they attack.

I live in the Ozark Mountains and up here if someone goes into the woods and gets attacked by a black bear(which is rare) than they go track and kill it. I don't think this is right. The same thing is done often in areas of shark attack.

If someone enters my home and are not welcomed or invited than I will probably attack too.

 

[Warrior102]

Libs - tell us how these bear attacks are George Bush's fault. We know you want to...

 

[B. Kidd]

Whaddya' expect?
It's a bear market!

 

[uscitizen]

Yep Dabs it is a very bad idea to get bears associating humans with food.

Once in the smokies I saw some people stop in a new cadillac and start throwing food out the windows to bears. The food was all eaten and then the bears approached the car, leaned up on the car and then slid down I could hear the screetch of claws on metal 50 yds away. I saw all kinds of animation break out in the car. I was just busy laughing mys ass off.
btw a do not feed the bears sign was within 50 feet of the fools car.

sometimes justice is served in unexpected ways.

 

[Dabs]

I noticed a lot of news articles about bears attacking as well. I know around here, people are asked to NOT feed the bears, because that makes the bear want to approach people more often, thinking it's an easy way for food.
People think the bear cubs are so damn cute, and feed them, not knowing Mommy bear is watching.
Of course, this is prolly not the case for all bear attacks, and some of the others responded with great responses as well.
Or maybe their food has become slacking too, for other reasons??
Who knows really~

There is also a huge difference between a black bear attack and a brown/grizzly bear attack. Brown bears are far larger and more aggressive.

You are correct. I have never seen a brown/grizzly up close....but I have seen the black bear, plenty of them. But it's not a good idea to feed any bear, people food. But from the news I have read on the attacks, the brown grizzlys are worse.

 

[Big Black Dog]

Somehow, they will find a way to blame the bear attacks on the Republicans too. I'm sure Obama has his staff on it already.

 

[Dabs]

Yep Dabs it is a very bad idea to get bears associating humans with food.

Once in the smokies I saw some people stop in a new cadillac and start throwing food out the windows to bears. The food was all eaten and then the bears approached the car, leaned up on the car and then slid down I could hear the screetch of claws on metal 50 yds away. I saw all kinds of animation break out in the car. I was just busy laughing mys ass off.
btw a do not feed the bears sign was within 50 feet of the fools car.

sometimes justice is served in unexpected ways.

Yeppers, that is where I see it happen a lot myself. It has lessened some, with more signs warning tourists to not feed them. I live very near the Smokies, I see a black bear every time I drive thru. But I don't get out and I don't toss nuffin!
When my children were very young, my then husband and I went to Cade's Cove, and people were sitting everywhere having a picnic. And out of nowhere comes this bear cub, and people thought it was so cute. Then came the Momma..and people got off their blankets and most didn't even have time to grab a thing, they just hurried to their cars (we were still in our car)..and after the people left, the bears went and ate all the food that was left.
Shortly after, they no longer allowed picnics, except for in certain areas.
It was rather scary, and that was...ohmigosh.....20 years ago!

 

[Sallow]

I am not trying to make light of this at all for it is a very sad tragedy indeed, and my heart and prayers go out to those involved. I do want to point out though that these animals have done nothing that we didn't know they would do in the first place. Animals are territorial, and when we enter their grounds we shouldn't be surprised if they attack.

I live in the Ozark Mountains and up here if someone goes into the woods and gets attacked by a black bear(which is rare) than they go track and kill it. I don't think this is right. The same thing is done often in areas of shark attack.

If someone enters my home and are not welcomed or invited than I will probably attack too.

It also makes sense to carry repellent. It's very effective. Another poster here made that point. If you are going to go in the woods..especially if they are still pretty wild..it need to take precautions.

 

[Missourian]

I noticed a lot of news articles about bears attacking as well. I know around here, people are asked to NOT feed the bears, because that makes the bear want to approach people more often, thinking it's an easy way for food.
People think the bear cubs are so damn cute, and feed them, not knowing Mommy bear is watching.
Of course, this is prolly not the case for all bear attacks, and some of the others responded with great responses as well.
Or maybe their food has become slacking too, for other reasons??
Who knows really~

There is also a huge difference between a black bear attack and a brown/grizzly bear attack. Brown bears are far larger and more aggressive.

I read somewhere the other day (probably Field & Stream) that if a Grizzly attacks, you should play dead, because the Grizzly doesn't see you as a food source...but if a black bear attacks you, you should fight back, because they just might be out to eat you.

When you are in bear territory, carry bear repellant (special bear pepper-spray)...better than a gun and the bear isn't permanently injured.

EDIT - I shouldn't say "better" than a gun...how about "better than the caliber of gun you're most likely to be carrying".

 

[Sallow]

I noticed a lot of news articles about bears attacking as well. I know around here, people are asked to NOT feed the bears, because that makes the bear want to approach people more often, thinking it's an easy way for food.
People think the bear cubs are so damn cute, and feed them, not knowing Mommy bear is watching.
Of course, this is prolly not the case for all bear attacks, and some of the others responded with great responses as well.
Or maybe their food has become slacking too, for other reasons??
Who knows really~

There is also a huge difference between a black bear attack and a brown/grizzly bear attack. Brown bears are far larger and more aggressive.

I read somewhere the other day (probably Field & Stream) that if a Grizzly attacks, you should play dead, because the Grizzly doesn't see you as a food source...but if a black bear attacks you, you should fight back, because they just might be out to eat you.

Timothy Treadwell found that out the hard way.

Timothy Treadwell - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Dabs]

There is also a huge difference between a black bear attack and a brown/grizzly bear attack. Brown bears are far larger and more aggressive.

I read somewhere the other day (probably Field & Stream) that if a Grizzly attacks, you should play dead, because the Grizzly doesn't see you as a food source...but if a black bear attacks you, you should fight back, because they just might be out to eat you.

Timothy Treadwell found that out the hard way.

Timothy Treadwell - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Oh shit did he.
He loved those damn bears tho, he was obsessed even. I have two books that were written about Treadwell.....one is called The Grizzly Maze and the other is called Death In The Grizzly Maze. They were written by friends and those who knew Treadwell.
Since they are non-fiction, I have read them both, and it was interesting reading. He was an odd character tho.
I saw a documentary on television about him also, Discovery channel I think, and he would film himself while he was studying these bears. He would even stoop to feel the bear's poop, to see how warm it was, so he would know how far ahead of him the bears were.
It was crazy to think of all he would go thru, just to study and protect these animals, only in turn, to have them turn on him.

 

[Missourian]

Timothy Treadwell found that out the hard way.

Timothy Treadwell - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

From the link:

A video camera was recovered at the site which proved to have been operating during the attack. However, according to Alaska State Trooper spokesman Greg Wilkinson, no images were found on the tape.

This fact led troopers to believe the attack might have happened while the camera was stuffed in a duffel bag or during the dark of night. The camera had been turned on just before the attack, presumably by Huguenard, but the camera recorded only six minutes of audio before running out of tape.

This, however, was enough time to record the bear's initial attack on Treadwell, its retreat when Huguenard attacked it, its return to carry Treadwell off into the forest, and Huguenard's screams of horror as she is left alone.​

That passage chilled me to the bone.

 

[Jos]

 

[Swagger]

I am not trying to make light of this at all for it is a very sad tragedy indeed, and my heart and prayers go out to those involved. I do want to point out though that these animals have done nothing that we didn't know they would do in the first place. Animals are territorial, and when we enter their grounds we shouldn't be surprised if they attack.

I live in the Ozark Mountains and up here if someone goes into the woods and gets attacked by a black bear(which is rare) than they go track and kill it. I don't think this is right. The same thing is done often in areas of shark attack.

If someone enters my home and are not welcomed or invited than I will probably attack too.

It also makes sense to carry repellent. It's very effective. Another poster here made that point. If you are going to go in the woods..especially if they are still pretty wild..it need to take precautions.

It also makes perfect sense to carry a gun.

I spend a month of my summer on my wife's parents' farm in the Appalachians, and both of us like to hike out into the woods. Very serene it is, too. But we don't let the beauty blind us to the fact that some potentially dangerous animals also live in the terrain we're passing through. And we prepare ourselves for that eventuality by both carrying handguns in an appropriate calibre. And on the occasions we have seen a bear, we treated it with respect by not looking at it directly or offering it food.

As much as this is a tragedy, I'm often struck by how ignorant some people can be to how dangerous an animal like a bear can be, and the strength they possess. As soon as the Polar bear was sighted, they should've been moving away from it at a rapid pace if they weren't realistically prepared/equipped to defend themselves against what is a dangerous land predator.

 

[hjmick]

And the bears are probably wondering... What the fuck are all these humans doing in our territory?