Park regulations state that visitors must stay more than 100 yards away from bears and wolves and 25 yards away from other wildlife. Many visitors see large wild animals that seem tame and therefore approach far closer than they should. These videos are intended to convince everyone that it is unwise to approach wild animals even if they seem tame.
You walk around a bend on one of Yellowstone’s trails and all at once there’s a bear. Would you know what to do?
Bear safety starts before you get on the trail. Start at the nearest backcountry office or visitor center. Ask about bear closures and recent sightings. Take the time to learn a little bear ecology. Learning what foods are available at certain times of the year can help you avoid confrontations.
Hike with others, and talk or clap your hands while walking. Consider carrying Bear Pepper Spray. It should contain between 1% and 2% capsaicin. Each hiker should carry their own canister.
So you have done your homework and you are prepared, and still, there is this bear. If the bear has not seen you, try backing up slowly and quietly. If that works, leave the area and reroute your trip.
If the bear has seen you, the proper response depends on what the bear does next. Slowly walk backwards while talking to the bear in a non-aggressive voice. Most likely the bear will run away, but not always. Never run from a bear.
If the bear charges you, stop retreating and hold your ground. Most charges are bluff charges. Remove the safety from your bear spray and if the bear gets within 40 feet of you spray it in the face.
Never play dead until a bear has made contact with you. If that happens, lay on your stomach with your hands clasped over your neck. Keep your backpacks on. Your legs should be slightly spread, so that it’s harder to flip you over. Remain as quiet and still as you can, until the bear leaves. Then find help.
Remember that climbing trees does not always work in Yellowstone. The park has both black bears and grizzly bears. Black bears are great tree climbers and grizzlies have been known to follow people quite far up a tree.
In reality, your chances of being injured by a bear in Yellowstone are 1 in 1.9 million. Yellowstone is a wilderness and wildernesses have rules that we can learn to follow. “Hey bear, Hey bear.”(Walking away while clapping).
While bison may seem as harmless as cows, they can be much more dangerous. This video shows what can happen when you approach too closely. Duration: 26 seconds
Each fall elk come to the Mammoth area to mate. During this rut, the bull elk are easily agitated and should be viewed from a distance. Duration: 2 minutes, 24 seconds
This video was shot by two different visitors. The first part was shot by a man watching safely from the benches. The other was among the visitors being chased. Duration: 2 minutes, 3 seconds
Cameraman: “The most exciting thing is the buffalo running through the parking lot.”
[Chatter from the crowd.]
[No audio]
[Chatter from the crowd]
Visitor 2: “People are running. I can’t see it.”
Cameraman: “Nobody cares about…Oh my goodness. Did he get that guy?”
[Screams from the crowd]
Cameraman: “That guy’s crazy.”
[Chatter from the crowd]
Visitor 1: “OK, let’s see this…”
Visitor 2: “That’s very close.”
Visitor 1: “Let’s see this goofy little child…”
Visitor 2: “There he goes. He’s getting rambunctious again. People go behind. Kid, kid, kid stay behind me, behind me and fluctuate, OK? Stay behind me, there you go. Behind me, behind me, behind me. Right there. That’s it. Stay here. Don’t run away.”
Visitor 1: “Put the camera down and don’t run.”
Visitor 2: “Oh yeah”
Visitor 3: “Oh yeah, don’t bring him over here.”
Visitor 1: “Don’t run!”
Visitor 2: “Donna, get up!”
Visitor 1: “Don’t run”
Visitor 2: “Donna, get up. Donna
[Visitor 4: Hooting loudly to distract the bison.]
Visitor 3: “Easy baby.”
[Visitor 4: Hooting loudly to distract the bison.]
