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A black bear mother and her two cubs cross the East Fork Quinault River
Bridgett Jamison
Black bear – Ursus americanus
The black bear is the only bear species found in Olympic National Park. They range from lowlands all the way up to subalpine regions of the mountains, inhabiting a variety of different ecosystems such as riparian areas, coastal lands, ridgetops, and forests, old and new. Spotting bears in the wild can be a thrilling experience, but encountering one up close or at your campsite can be alarming and potentially dangerous. As visitors, yor actions play the most cruical role in preventing bears from becoming habituated to humans.
Notify park staff in all instances of food loss or property damage, or any other threatening acts by bears. If you experience an encounter with a bear, such as a bear approaching you at a distance of less than 50 yards, a bear entering your campsite, or a bear that attempts to take your food report to a park ranger or fill out anonline wildlife report.
Give Bears Space! Stay at least 100 feet or about three bus lengths (~30 meters, 33 yards) from all bears. Do NOT approach bears!
Travel in groups and make noise to avoid surprising bears. If you see a bear near the road, stay in your vehicle.
Supervise children and pets in bear country. Keep your kids between adults, your pets on leash, and don't let them run ahead.
Stay aware of your surroundings
BEAR ENCOUNTERS:
If you see a black bear and you are in a vehicle
Stay in your vehicle! Make sure you are not blocking the bear from moving and not blocking traffic or parking on blind curves.
If you see a black bear in the distance and you are on foot
If the bear doesn't see you, keep out of its sight and detour as far as possible behind and downwind of the bear. If the bear sees you, retreat slowly and leave the area. If possible, slowly walk upwind to let your scent reach the bear.
Regardless of the distance, never approach a bear.
If you see a black bear fairly close by and you are on foot
Identify yourself as human by talking calmly and loudly (as in a crowded restaurant) so the bear knows you are not a prey animal. Do not make any loud noises or screams—the bear may think it’s the sound of a prey animal.
Remain still and calm; stand your ground but slowly wave your arms. It may come closer or stand on its hind legs to get a better look or smell. A standing bear is usually curious, not threatening. Do NOT run or make any sudden movements which may trigger an attack.
Pick up small children immediately. Children can be unpredictable and are prey sized.
Do NOT allow the bear access to your food.Getting your food will only encourage the bear and make the problem worse for others.
Do NOT drop your pack as it can provide protection for your back and prevent a bear from accessing your food.
If the bear is stationary, move away slowly and sideways; this allows you to keep an eye on the bear and avoid tripping. Moving sideways is also non-threatening to bears.
Leave the area or take a detour. If this is impossible, wait until the bear moves away. Always leave the bear an escape route.
Be especially cautious if you see a female with cubs; never place yourself between a mother and her cub, and never attempt to approach them. The chances of an attack escalate greatly if she perceives you as a danger to her cubs.
If a black bear charges you
Stay calm, stamp your feet, make yourself as big as possible. Bears may bluff their way charging and turn away at the last second. If you have bear spray, deploy it.
Do NOT run, but if the bear follows, stop and hold your ground. Bears can run as fast as a racehorse both uphill and down. Like dogs, they will chase fleeing animals.
Do NOT climb a tree. Black bears can climb trees.
If a black bear attacks fight back. Go after sensitive areas such as eyes and noses.
Common Causes of Defensive Attacks by Bears
Approaching or surprising a bear, especially at close range
Startling a female with cubs or getting in between her and the cubs
Getting close to a carcass or other food source
BEAR DIETS:
These creatures have an incredibly varied diet. They often feed on tree sapwood, young tree bark, and insect mounds until berries come in season. Bears can be spotted frequently in the early fall raiding the huckleberry bushes on mountain slopes. During various salmon runs in both spring and fall, bears will feed in shallow waters where they have a relatively easy time catching salmon en route to spawn, or salmon carcasses that have done so already.
ROLE OF BEARS IN THE ECOSYSTEM:
As omnivores, bears eat a little bit of everything, which helps the forest stay healthy and clean. As bears graze for nuts and seeds throughout the late summer and fall, the undigested seeds are deposited in their droppings, or scat, which then fertilizes them to grow into the giants that visitors come from around the world to see. Even as these giant trees fall, bears are there to dig through the logs in search of insects inside, helping to make a new forest floor. These new berry bushes and leafy greens attract elk and deer, as well. As these animals die off, the bears will help to eat the carcasses, providing more nutrients to the soil and building the web of Olympic life!
