Black bears are wonderful to observe in the wild and we hope you will have a chance to do so during your visit. But when bears are humans get too close, the result can be disastrous - for you or the bear. It is important to remember that bears will change their behavior if they become habituated to humans (get used to our presence) which will happen if we crowd them or observe them too closely. Bears also change their behavior if they obtain human food - even just one time. They begin to break into cars, tents, and cabins and may become aggressive. If a bear becomes a safety hazard, we sometimes have to destroy it. In 2000, we killed four bears. Other habituated and food-conditioned bears are killed by cars because they spend more time along roads and in campgrounds.
"What should I do if I encounter a bear in a:"
"natural area?"
Consider yourself lucky! Almost all visitors want to see black bears during their stay in the Parks. This may be your chance to take an award-winning photograph. In other words, enjoy, but please remember these simple rules:
- Stay together (especially small children).
- Give the bear(s) lots of room (300 feet or more).
- Don't get between a sow and her cubs.
- Don't linger too long.
"developed area?"
You are still lucky, but the bears need to be "hazed" out of developed areas so they don't feel welcome and get habituated or get food. Please help keep bears wild by following the suggestions below - these are especially valid if a bear enters your campsite or picnic area. You may also see park staff using more
aggressive techniques during your visit such as paint ball guns, pepper spray, slingshots, even rubber bullets. Please do not try these techniques or become offended by our use of them. We are well-trained and safety-conscious. These techniques look "mean" but are essential for the future of these bears. If you have any new ideas, we would love to hear about them. Some of our best methods come from suggestions from visitors like you.
If a bear enters your area:
- Check to make sure all you food and food-related items are stored properly.
- Get everyone together (especially kids) and look really big and make lots of noise (bang pots and pans, etc.).
- Never surround a bear - they need an escape route!
- Never separate a sow from her cubs (sometimes cubs are up a nearby tree).
- If a bear huffs at you and shows its profile, it may be ready to bluff charge. Stand your ground or back away slowly. Do not run.
- Never try to take food back from a bear!
"What should I do if a bear bluff-charges me?"
Look big, raise your arms, and stand your ground. As soon as the bear backs away, you should back away as well. The bear may be guarding food or cubs and view you as a threat. If a bluff charge ever became a real charge and a bear made bodily contact, you would need to tuck into a ball face down with your hands over your neck. In very rare instances (never in these Parks), black bears have made predaceous attacks on humans. If that ever happened, you would need to fight back.
"Where Can I See A Bear?"
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| Black bear in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. Photo © Dave Graber. |
Most visitors who see bears in the Parks are simply lucky, but you can increase your chances if you know where to look. The best places to find bears are those places that serve as food sources for this opportunistic omnivore. In the spring, bears are often found in meadows digging up grasses, forbs, and roots, or in the forest ripping apart logs for insects. When berries become available in the summer, bears are seen dining at manzanita and bitter cherry bushes. In the fall, visitors often see bears high up in the oak trees gorging themselves on acorns. Even if you don't see a bear during your visit, you can find signs of bears everywhere - overturned rocks and stumps, torn-up rotten trees, scratch marks and bits of fur on trees, scats, and of course, tracks in the snow or mud. If
you are lucky enough to see a bear, remember that bears, and all park animals, are wild. Please do not approach them and NEVER give them food.
Note: These regulations and precautions help decrease the chance of personal injury or property damage. However, bear damage and confrontations are still possible, even when all guidelines are followed. All bears in the Sierra Nevada are American black bears,
Ursus americanus. This name can be misleading, as they may be black, brown, cinnamon, or even blonde in color. The last grizzly bear (Ursus arctos) in California was killed near Sequoia National Park in 1922. This information does not apply to parks inhabited by grizzly bears.
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