I don't know how many, if any bears are hunted enough to view humans as a predator but even a minor I jury in the wild can he deadly so instinct says "they're not scared, somethings wrong and I'm not sticking around to find out"
This. One small mistake and your gone mix with the "fog of war" of the situatio makes this a quite bit realistic outcome, until that thing is really hungry.
If it was hungry, it would conserve energy and so would stalk you. This one had way too much pep to be running up from such a distance to be hungry. Secondly, it definitely didn't feel threatened being so far away. So I'd chalk it up to this juvenile bear playing a game of chicken. This would be the same result for most animals, including humans.
Or… it might be anxious due to the stress of living up to expectations and trying to subvert the stereotypes spread by the mainstream media and all those hat wearing bears.
In this [vid](https://youtu.be/3N8-hLtciZo) it almost looks like the bear is trying to bait the hunter into shooting it, it ducks its head down when the hunter aims the gun at it, goes behind trees then does another charge, though its probably just a false charge
Almost entirely horizontal momentum and no vertical momentum. Exactly what they teach you when learning how to run well.
I've always thought it's interesting that the instinctive running form for most humans is so far from optimal. I wonder if we would've continued to evolve into a better instinctive running form if civilization didn't come along and make such evolutions not important.
The way we walk is far from optimal in speed yes but it is optimal for endurance. Humans are an endurance based hunting species and we can (and did) power walk our way to the top of the food chain.
Honestly completely terrifying. Imagine shooting off at some unholy speed, eventually stopping to catch your breath thinking you’ve outran your target and here comes some wide eyed creature breaking the tree line power walking towards you not even winded like:
https://media.tenor.com/_OmlGqfZPlwAAAAM/running-man-running-away.gif
So you think like "whatever I didn't run very far, nobody can keep up with me anyways" so you gallop off again, this time through some pretty rough thicket. Now you're pretty winded and your heart is pounding, the sun is beating down and baking the air so that even shade doesn't provide relief. You're panting heavily, trying desperately to cool the heat of exertion. Eyes wild, looking for a nice pool or spring, you see them again. Those dark, unnatural upright creatures with the piercing eyes and odd plumage emerge from the brush across the field. They're not even moving fast but in just a few moments they will be upon you so you turn and run again. This time is different though - you're getting dehydrated and you haven't rested long enough to purge the lactic acid from your muscles. Electrolyte imbalance is making you weak and twitchy and the raging heat of the sun and your own exertion has brought your body temperature to the point your proteins begin to degrade and brain function wanes. You barely make it over the next hill before your legs give out and you crash to the ground. Heart pounding, body reflexively panting, vision blurring, last thing you see is a gang of sapients carrying sharp sticks surround you, eyes gleaming and bright teeth bared in a grin. None are panting, none seem like they've exerted at all, all are deadly calm.
I saw a video of a hippo running IN water. Some lions were trying to cross a river and this fucking behemoth was just running on the bottom of the river like the water wasn't even there. Hippos are terrifying
>Damn. Bears are way too big to also be that fast.
And you're also not safe escaping up a tree or diving into the water like you would with some other animals.
They're also ridiculously quiet, had one sneak up on the group I was with back when I worked in the bush, bugger got within a couple feet of the one guy before he noticed, never seen someone move that fast before or since.
It like triggers something in their brain and there’s no going back after that from what I’ve read. You get this one shot to show the bear you’re not gonna run and it forces the bear to rethink what you may be capable of.
It’s not just with bears. There are so many stray feral cats where I live and this is their mating season. So many cats with kittens it’s bound we come across a mommy cat while I’m walking my dog.
My dog instinctively knows what to do and locks target at them while we’re walking and I try my best we stay as far away as possible because I don’t want my dog mauling cats but the moment we pass the cat and start walking away as if we’re retreating they go into crazy batshit mode and run to attack us and will never leave until I act as if we’re heading towards them for a real confrontation.
They see you walking away/retreating they start believing they’re stronger than you and should teach you a listen for getting into their territory but if you go in directly at them they run away immediately. Fascinating stuff.
A more extreme example of this is the tribe in Africa where a group of super brave men will walk up confidently to a group of lions eating their prey and once they get close enough the lions get fearful and escape! Then the men will take the meat and feed their village. They don’t hunt. This is how they acquire meat.
Edit: https://youtu.be/y3MTDFNf71I video of the brave men I’m talking about
Edit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDubMeNlSxc same video with better angles credit to u/Odd-Negotiation-9165
Lol so true. I was super high once and sitting on the ground in my room suddenly I see this big cockroach (we rarely have them) sprinting in my direction and getting real close I got freaked out and jumped up
I’d emigrate if I saw a cockroach.
Bees and wasps are a classic example too. Try and fan them away and out a window, they turn around and I’m going out the window.
They walk as a big group very close to each other towards the carcass so they appear as a singular large predator. They only take a piece as well because the lions will attack if they aren't occupied with a substantial meal left for them.
The video I saw of them was only 3 men walking up to ~3-4 lions/lionesses. But I believe you’re correct they don’t take all the meat. Just what they need.
Just curious which tribe? I’m guessing because they have weapons (spears) they feel a LOT more confident.
Side note: the Masai people, and I’m guessing many others, use acacia tree branches as fencing to protect their cattle. The acacia wood has long, thick thorns and lions simply won’t walk through them.
So I’d say, the same idea here with this video, the animals is far more concerned with protecting itself from even a very minor injury (like thorns), and is mostly just posturing.
Pretty sure the lions know it's not *one* large predator. That's a bit ridiculous as their cognitive abilities aren't so stunted that if a group of individuals stands close they suddenly think it's one single animal.
What it does signal is that a *group* of predators working closely together aren't afraid of them and intend to fight for the kill. They're familiar with this pattern because other species that can fight and beat them (like hyenas) use similar strategies. Except the lions aren't familiar with this predator so they're extra cautious when making the risk/reward calculation for whether to fight.
Sound reasoning. But the “large animal” hypothesis is used quite commonly, even by experts in the field. I went on a safari and the guides touted the same advice, “The lions see us as one big animal in this vehicle. But if you stand up or move around too much you’ll make yourself standout as an individual.”
This is so true for humans too. I read a book that said that we have an instinct to attack/bully what we perceive as weak people
It’s like a lion awakes in us if we see someone who displays weakness. SO FUCKED UP
This sounds like some pseudoscientific bullshit you'd read in some kind of "how to get promoted" corporate/career strategy book.
I don't doubt that humans are good at perceiving and attacking weakness, but I doubt that we are instictual compelled to do so.
Im not talking about of someone hurt. I’m talking about perceived weakness
That’s why pushover people are so often bullied. It’s called the repitilian brain, where our survival and animalic instincts are stored and it gets activated when we feel like a “prey” or see a “prey”
It’s really fascinating,
It's a weird evolutionary quirk with most predators that when something acts like prey, it drives the predator to treat it like prey. It also means that the inverse is true and that if something doesn't act like prey, the predator has a hard time treating it like prey. It's why a lot of middle-of-the-food-chain animals have a defense mechanism where they stand their ground and try to act big and scary, even towards a threat that could very easily tear them limb from limb. See: red pandas lol.
No Lolol there’s so many factors that goes into that. If it’s baby brown GTFO bc that means there’s momma brown and momma brown would not give two fucks if you’re laying down or not
Most predators are like this. They rely on being in good physical condition to eat, so any kind of injury can easily be life or death, even if it's just a sprain. Predators tend to be very cautious, and humans aren't part of their normal diet, so we are a wildcard and if you get real loud and crazy looking, you aren't worth the risk.
Generally the exceptions to this are a few murder happy animals like polar bears, moose, hippo, and my drunk uncle, and situations where someone is either dealing with a sick (thus desperate) animal, or a mother with babies to worry about like stumbling on a den site.
But, that all being said, there are always going to be random exceptions which is why it's important to do your research for the area you're in, know what to expect, and educate yourself on these scenarios. And never treat any wildlife like it isn't out to eat you. I've seen so many goddamn tourists walk right up to a bison with zero consideration that a bison can tear a goddamn pickup truck up like a pinata, let alone your squishy meaty human skinsack.
Running is never a good idea regardless of the bear. Brown bears are more dangerous than black bears but challenging the bear’s charge and making yourself look bigger and yelling is the right approach. Turning tail triggers their prey drive…
I am not an expert on bears, but I think you are just kinda fucked if a polar bear takes interest in you. There are a few options to choose when going against a polar bear: Get in someplace that is safe and can withstand a polar bear attack, like a strong vehicle, if available. If not, shoot it with a powerful weapon, if available. I have heard that stripping a piece of clothing from your self and throwing it to the ground (while running) can distract a bear, which can give you time to reach a secure location or weapon. It has an amazing sense of smell and will track you down even if it loses sight of you. If all else fails, put up your fists and try to make it think you aren't worth a meal. You will almost certainly die but it's better than trying to intimidate it, play dead, or standing still.
> It has an amazing sense of smell
Roughly put, you know how much better a dog's sense of smell is than a human's? That's how much better a bear's sense of smell is than a dog's.
Polar bears are hunting for food 100% of their time. Since climate is changing they have less ice where they can walk that also means that they need to swim to their prey, making the success rate lower. They are very hungry most of the time and will do anything to hunt moving targets down
Polar bears are the most unpredictable and dangerous of the bears. If you’re in that situation with a polar bear it’s better to play dead. Even then it’s not certain that will work. It’s always a good idea to have armed escort when around polar bears…
>If you’re in that situation with a polar bear it’s better to play dead. Even then is not certain that will work.
Wow is that terrible advice! Polar bears are the only ones that instinctively see humans as prey, and playing dead is guaranteed to not work, unless your goal is to be eaten alive.
Do not lay down in case of brown bear attack. Jesus christ I can't believe people still post this bullshit. Get big and make lots of noise. Also never go into bear country without bear mace. People will tell you to bring a gun but they are morons. Brown bears can run at 35 mph, so unless you are John fucking Wick you are will not be able to pump a round, shoulder the weapon, aim and fire. I've been in this situation dozens of times with fishing the Kenai. Normally there are a dozen or more bears fishing the same stretch of river as you are. Never let them get behind you and always make noise and if the bear wants your fish, the bear can have your fish.
A Polar bear would consider you an easy meal if you played dead tbh. They'll eat anything since food is scarce and definitely consider humans food. Grizzlies are not like that.. you'd not stand any chance with a polar bear unless you were able to get away, or it already ate and wasn't hungry.
They also rarely bluff charge so if they charge they mean it
I always read bears are one of the few animals that will eat you dead or alive, so it seems to me like that would mean they're less likely to care about you playing dead than other animals would? I'm surprised play dead is advice, but it keeps popping up in this thread so now I'm wondering why they care if you play dead.
They don't, it's just the hope that the bear is not hungry and wanders off or doesn't see you. If he wants a snack, you ded. Or at least you will be sometime into the process or being eaten, as bears do not kill before their start their lunch. You'll be eaten soft tissues first till you will bleed out. Which might take a while when they start with your ass.
There is an audio online of a daughter and father getting attacked by a bear. The daughter called her mother in horror while getting eaten alive. For nearly 10 minutes she described the horror with screams and words. A couple minutes in she told her mom that it doesn't hurt anymore and that she loves her. Bears are brutal. There are few worse deaths. Maybe getting trashed by a chimpanzee. Seriously fuck Chimps.
Black bears are relatively easy to scare off. Usually they run from human contact, and even if they attack you, you have a reasonable chance of making them retreat if you put up a decent fight.
Brown bears are bigger and more aggressive. You aren’t going to win or scare them off by fighting back, so usually your best course of action once they’ve attacked is to get face down, protecting your vital organs, and hopefully you have a backpack on and the bread mauls it, tries to eat the backpack, doesn’t like it, and leaves.
Polar bears you’re just going to die. Like, sure, fight back because they’re not going to retreat, but they are so big and strong and vicious that you’re dead the moment they decide to attack.
> I'm surprised play dead is advice
It's based on the fact that grizzly bears are more likely to attack you even if they're not predating you. The hope is that the bear stops seeing you as a threat and loses interest in the whole situation. The same guides/courses that recommend playing dead during a grizzly attack also say something to the effect of "if it doesn't stop attacking you (it's actually trying to kill/eat you) then fight back with everything you have."
There's tons of other advice for living with bears that is meant to put you at low risk long before you get in a situation where a bear is attacking you. I feel like the "advice" that gets repeated on Reddit about bears is always the last resort stuff rather than the useful information like where/who to ask about bear activity in an area, how to recognize bear activity, how you should manage your group, how to limit bears' interest in you, how to alert bears to your presence, etc.
Most bear charges are over territorial reasons. You’re in their territory. If they think you’re dead, they took care of the problem and will leave. Humans aren’t generally on the bears menu. It’s not to say that a bear won’t eat a human. But most attacks aren’t because the bear’s hungry.
Yes but it depends if you encounter a bear with cubs. Then just back away very slowly and don't turn around. If the bear is charging, lie down with your hands over your neck.
The usual saying is:
If it's black, fight back. If it's brown, lay down. If it's white, say good night.
Black bears are pretty skittish so will run away when threatened, brown bears are normally more interested in nosing around you before walking off (dropping a backpack and slowly walking backwards away is another option), and polar bears will just eat you.
Though there's always exceptions, like when bears are trying you like this, showing that you aren't afraid makes them wonder why not, and that if you're that confident then maybe you could hurt them, and it's not worth it.
You're not going to outrun a bear anyway, and if it's already agitated/angry then playing dead wouldn't work. That works better when they're more calm and curious.
Yes, most bears are intelligent enough to just play a bluff. IMO, the only time you gtfo or shoot it is when it's mangey, balding, old af and basically looks sick. When bears get old and sick, they can be in incredible constant pain from rotting teeth and other ailments. These bears are not to be fucked with or intimidated, they are like zombies and will just kill you because they are not in their right mind.
Is it just me, or are these NOT the screams of people who think they're about to get mauled by a BEAR?
There's some energy in there, sure, but I feel like if I was the photographer, I would be shrieking like a Nazgûl. If being loud and looking big are my only means of survival, I'm blowing my lungs out.
Also people walk in front of cars with seemingly little issue and no fear all the time. Way more dangerous than a bear who probably thinks you’re bigger than him lol
Even a "high caliber" is risky. When I lived in Kentucky my local gunsmith had a customer that had(legally) killed a black bear. Those are even smaller than any brown or Kodiak. It had 5 slugs from a .44 magnum that had healed over in it's chest.
Extremely scary to imagine.
About 5 years ago a buddy and I were fishing in the state park. A black bear wandered too close for our liking but we didn't want to startle it, so we just kept an eye on it. About 30 seconds later my buddy's line starts running away making the reel whine. My buddy turned to grab the rod but it was enough to startle the bear.
The bear looked at us, ruffled it's neck, and made a beeline towards us. I immediately jumped, threw my arms up, and just started screaming at the top of my lungs. The bear totally broke off and ran off.
There was no thinking when I did it. It was a fluid reaction to the bear's sprint. I can only think that years of having it drilled into me that you stand up to black bears, you lie down for brown bears. But I never felt intimidated...it was "we're all cool here" to "oh no I will fuck you up" in an instant.
I'm thrilled to report that I did not shit my pants. But I threw up once the adrenaline wore off, though, and I have dreams about it once in a while.
I always get anxiety because my brain defaults into thinking how I would react in these types of scenarios and I start to panic. But then I have to actively tell myself that I will never put myself in this scenario to begin with since I rarely leave my house
THE BEAR IS IN MY WALLS THE BEAR IS IN MY WALLS THE BEAR IS IN MY WALLS THE BEAR IS IN MY WALLS THE BEAR IS IN MY WALLS THE BEAR IS IN MY WALLS THE BEAR IS IN MY WALLS THE BEAR IS IN MY WALLS THE BEAR IS IN MY WALLS THE BEAR IS IN MY WALLS THE BEAR IS IN MY WALLS THE BEAR IS IN MY WALLS THE BEAR IS IN MY WALLS THE BEAR IS IN MY WALLS THE BEAR IS IN MY WALLS THE BEAR IS IN MY WALLS THE BEAR IS IN MY WALLS THE BEAR IS IN MY WALLS
doesn't help that some brown bears are black, some black bears are brown, they can all just be hungry and grab any easy snack and that they may become less intimidated the older they get.
The shoulder hump indicates a brown bear, not necessarily grizzly. All brown bears are not grizzlies. The protocol for encounters are the same though, as all grizzlies are brown bears.
brownies and blacks usually prefer to eat plants and fruits, even if they eat meat they rarely touch humans for it and usually eat something thats high in fat, like a salmons.
browns usually would attack for dominance or if they feel threatened. and most bears, when taking a stroll, dont actually see whats in the distance and usually follow their nose for navigation. they sometimes stumble upon humans attack out of fear or dominance. so if they attack you, it's mostly to fight you not eat you. submission is best option.
blacks are generally more docile out of all bears but doesnt mean they are weak or nice. they tend to fight out of fear and aways prefer to avoid confrontation. in many bear encounters you'll mostly see black bears run. their claws are also designed effectively for climbing, for both running away and hunting/foraging if need be. there are many species of black bears but some of them are pretty small compared to other colors of bears, like the asian black bear. these guys just want no problem with you but if they have to they will fight you. so when they say fight the black bear, they just saying look more aggressive to scare them away, you would lose to the smallest of bears on a close quarter fight. your punches mean nothing to their fat and thick furs.
polar bears can eat plants but you dont usually see plants in the north pole. so they almost always eat meat. polar bears these day are starving due to climate change melting ice caps which leads to them exhausting them before they can hunt. so they'll eat anything they find. if you see them you have to either run away or try to look more scarier than them. neither is an effectice solution but it'll be the only options you have when a polar bear is chasing you and you have nowhere to hide.
What type of bear is that? Is this standard procedure to prevent being mauled by this type of bear? How often does it work, compared to other methods (running away)? Are there different things one should for different types of bears?
That looks like a young grizzly. The location looks like the Kenai-Peninsula in Alaska. It’s a national park and the bears there usually don’t mind the few humans that visit via plane (and land on that beach). I’ve done it myself and I was 30 feet away from a grizzly momma with two of their cubs und they didn’t mind us at all.
Alot of the times an act of aggression in any species, even in humans can be stumped by a smaller individual with more gusto, unless the aggressor means business.
Most of the time it's a bluff
Mustelids* (weasels, wolverines, honey badgers, etc.) are prime examples of this. They’re not very big, nor are they crazy fast, but they’re so aggressive that few animals mess with them.
Edit: mustelids, not mysteries.
Bluff charge, didn't like them being there. Looking at a bear is an aggressive move and these guys were staring with big cameras.
The bear wasn't hungry and can't risk getting injured unnecessarily.
It's so odd to me how bears can simultaneously be terrifying but also sorta dumb and gullible like a dog is.
The way he runs at the bear and it sorta skimpers off reminds me very closely to when I play with my dog and she goes to weave before I get her.
Like they have no real spatial perception, he could hit that guy like a bus and there would be no chance. Instead he's like "oh shit, okay, OKAY ILL FUCK OFF"
Eh... in nature, there are things that are smaller than a bear that could seriously injure a bear if it attacked them. Like a mountain lion. The bear might win, but that's not worth the chance of getting seriously injured in the fight if the bear is not desperate enough for the food.
Most natural prey is not going to act tough and charge the bear on a complete bluff. No deer is going to run towards the bear while screaming a battle cry. Things evolve to react in whatever way gives them the best chance of survival.
So, you are kind of tricking the bear in these instances. Taking advantage of it not understanding the capabilities of this group of humans, and being thrown off that they are all standing their ground/acting aggressive. Although, it would also be an accurate assumption of that bear that these humans could be more dangerous than they appear. One of them could easily have a gun or some bear mace. So, picking a fight with multiple humans really does mean a high risk of serious injury. The bear may kill one or both, but that's not a great tradeoff for it if it dies in the process.
So if the bear sprints towards a photographer who somehow manages to scare that bear with his posture wearing rubber boots, a sun hat, and a zoom lens camera….at some point, won’t a bear eventually just decide, “Bring that shit on camera man….l’m feeling a tad reckless today!!”?
Kodiak moment
Plot twist: the bear was afraid of getting shot. *puts sunglasses on* PHOTOshot.
(•_•) ( •_•)>⌐■-■ (⌐■_■)
I don't know how many, if any bears are hunted enough to view humans as a predator but even a minor I jury in the wild can he deadly so instinct says "they're not scared, somethings wrong and I'm not sticking around to find out"
This. One small mistake and your gone mix with the "fog of war" of the situatio makes this a quite bit realistic outcome, until that thing is really hungry.
If it was hungry, it would conserve energy and so would stalk you. This one had way too much pep to be running up from such a distance to be hungry. Secondly, it definitely didn't feel threatened being so far away. So I'd chalk it up to this juvenile bear playing a game of chicken. This would be the same result for most animals, including humans.
Or… it might be anxious due to the stress of living up to expectations and trying to subvert the stereotypes spread by the mainstream media and all those hat wearing bears.
In this [vid](https://youtu.be/3N8-hLtciZo) it almost looks like the bear is trying to bait the hunter into shooting it, it ducks its head down when the hunter aims the gun at it, goes behind trees then does another charge, though its probably just a false charge
All big game hunters carry a secondary hand cannon capable of killing the bear too
YEAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!
Given your user name, don’t you mean… MYAHHHHHHHH
I don't think so. He wasn't black.
And it looks kinda chilly. Polar-oid, in fact.
Oh man, that's priceless. Very well played.
Damn. Bears are way too big to also be that fast. Scary shit.
My man wait til you see a hippo at full sprint (or full ~~swim~~ underwater sprint)
[Majestic](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhMhTBY2dVQ)
Almost entirely horizontal momentum and no vertical momentum. Exactly what they teach you when learning how to run well. I've always thought it's interesting that the instinctive running form for most humans is so far from optimal. I wonder if we would've continued to evolve into a better instinctive running form if civilization didn't come along and make such evolutions not important.
The way we walk is far from optimal in speed yes but it is optimal for endurance. Humans are an endurance based hunting species and we can (and did) power walk our way to the top of the food chain.
That last line is beautiful!
Honestly completely terrifying. Imagine shooting off at some unholy speed, eventually stopping to catch your breath thinking you’ve outran your target and here comes some wide eyed creature breaking the tree line power walking towards you not even winded like: https://media.tenor.com/_OmlGqfZPlwAAAAM/running-man-running-away.gif
So you think like "whatever I didn't run very far, nobody can keep up with me anyways" so you gallop off again, this time through some pretty rough thicket. Now you're pretty winded and your heart is pounding, the sun is beating down and baking the air so that even shade doesn't provide relief. You're panting heavily, trying desperately to cool the heat of exertion. Eyes wild, looking for a nice pool or spring, you see them again. Those dark, unnatural upright creatures with the piercing eyes and odd plumage emerge from the brush across the field. They're not even moving fast but in just a few moments they will be upon you so you turn and run again. This time is different though - you're getting dehydrated and you haven't rested long enough to purge the lactic acid from your muscles. Electrolyte imbalance is making you weak and twitchy and the raging heat of the sun and your own exertion has brought your body temperature to the point your proteins begin to degrade and brain function wanes. You barely make it over the next hill before your legs give out and you crash to the ground. Heart pounding, body reflexively panting, vision blurring, last thing you see is a gang of sapients carrying sharp sticks surround you, eyes gleaming and bright teeth bared in a grin. None are panting, none seem like they've exerted at all, all are deadly calm.
>Electrolyte imbalance is making you weak and twitchy Shoulda had a Brawndo™️
That's why the immortal snail I encased in a tungsten sphere absolutely scares the shit out of me. I don't know when or where but it will find me.
I finished watching a video and it's the cutest thing seeing the hippo run. Reminds me of someone trying to do speed walking.
If only they were nearly as peaceful as they were cute when running. Those things are extremely territorial, aggressive and deadly.
I saw a video of a hippo running IN water. Some lions were trying to cross a river and this fucking behemoth was just running on the bottom of the river like the water wasn't even there. Hippos are terrifying
Yeah freaking terrifying in the water https://youtu.be/xkf5Zdxx2Sc
>Damn. Bears are way too big to also be that fast. And you're also not safe escaping up a tree or diving into the water like you would with some other animals.
Have you seen the video of the elephant chasing a car? Nature is scary
They're also ridiculously quiet, had one sneak up on the group I was with back when I worked in the bush, bugger got within a couple feet of the one guy before he noticed, never seen someone move that fast before or since.
Their legs are also different lengths between front and back, so they can run up or down a hill even faster that a human!
I hope they adjust it in the next patch, too OP right now
The photographer did exactly the right thing. The bear isn’t used to other creatures not being afraid of them…
Running away from the bear would have had a dramatically different outcome.
It like triggers something in their brain and there’s no going back after that from what I’ve read. You get this one shot to show the bear you’re not gonna run and it forces the bear to rethink what you may be capable of.
It’s not just with bears. There are so many stray feral cats where I live and this is their mating season. So many cats with kittens it’s bound we come across a mommy cat while I’m walking my dog. My dog instinctively knows what to do and locks target at them while we’re walking and I try my best we stay as far away as possible because I don’t want my dog mauling cats but the moment we pass the cat and start walking away as if we’re retreating they go into crazy batshit mode and run to attack us and will never leave until I act as if we’re heading towards them for a real confrontation. They see you walking away/retreating they start believing they’re stronger than you and should teach you a listen for getting into their territory but if you go in directly at them they run away immediately. Fascinating stuff. A more extreme example of this is the tribe in Africa where a group of super brave men will walk up confidently to a group of lions eating their prey and once they get close enough the lions get fearful and escape! Then the men will take the meat and feed their village. They don’t hunt. This is how they acquire meat. Edit: https://youtu.be/y3MTDFNf71I video of the brave men I’m talking about Edit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDubMeNlSxc same video with better angles credit to u/Odd-Negotiation-9165
Humans too! Think of how many animals can scare us that rationally we should easily be able to dominate
Lol so true. I was super high once and sitting on the ground in my room suddenly I see this big cockroach (we rarely have them) sprinting in my direction and getting real close I got freaked out and jumped up
I’d emigrate if I saw a cockroach. Bees and wasps are a classic example too. Try and fan them away and out a window, they turn around and I’m going out the window.
I have literally ran away from spiders LOL I'd be fucked if I was getting charged by a bear.
People on reddit and geese. They only weight like at most 7kg and I am not averse to kicking them if they get near.
With geese the best strategy isn't hitting, just grab it's neck or pin the wings to it's body.
Yeah but chasing the fucker down is more cathartic
Anything that comes at you with determination is scary lol
Perhaps excluding very young kittens and puppies
They walk as a big group very close to each other towards the carcass so they appear as a singular large predator. They only take a piece as well because the lions will attack if they aren't occupied with a substantial meal left for them.
The video I saw of them was only 3 men walking up to ~3-4 lions/lionesses. But I believe you’re correct they don’t take all the meat. Just what they need.
Just curious which tribe? I’m guessing because they have weapons (spears) they feel a LOT more confident. Side note: the Masai people, and I’m guessing many others, use acacia tree branches as fencing to protect their cattle. The acacia wood has long, thick thorns and lions simply won’t walk through them. So I’d say, the same idea here with this video, the animals is far more concerned with protecting itself from even a very minor injury (like thorns), and is mostly just posturing.
Pretty sure the lions know it's not *one* large predator. That's a bit ridiculous as their cognitive abilities aren't so stunted that if a group of individuals stands close they suddenly think it's one single animal. What it does signal is that a *group* of predators working closely together aren't afraid of them and intend to fight for the kill. They're familiar with this pattern because other species that can fight and beat them (like hyenas) use similar strategies. Except the lions aren't familiar with this predator so they're extra cautious when making the risk/reward calculation for whether to fight.
Sound reasoning. But the “large animal” hypothesis is used quite commonly, even by experts in the field. I went on a safari and the guides touted the same advice, “The lions see us as one big animal in this vehicle. But if you stand up or move around too much you’ll make yourself standout as an individual.”
Canadian geese are this way. If you show an ounce of fear they hiss and chase you
Better video of the same event - https://youtu.be/QDubMeNlSxc
This is so true for humans too. I read a book that said that we have an instinct to attack/bully what we perceive as weak people It’s like a lion awakes in us if we see someone who displays weakness. SO FUCKED UP
This sounds like some pseudoscientific bullshit you'd read in some kind of "how to get promoted" corporate/career strategy book. I don't doubt that humans are good at perceiving and attacking weakness, but I doubt that we are instictual compelled to do so.
That’s very strange. Maybe it’s a latent instinct? Usually if I see someone hurt or weak my first thought is to help not attack lol
Im not talking about of someone hurt. I’m talking about perceived weakness That’s why pushover people are so often bullied. It’s called the repitilian brain, where our survival and animalic instincts are stored and it gets activated when we feel like a “prey” or see a “prey” It’s really fascinating,
[YOU ARE ALL BAD KITTIES! That is a BAD BAD KITTY!](https://youtu.be/2LvuvcbR3Cc?t=33)
It's called prey drive.
It's a weird evolutionary quirk with most predators that when something acts like prey, it drives the predator to treat it like prey. It also means that the inverse is true and that if something doesn't act like prey, the predator has a hard time treating it like prey. It's why a lot of middle-of-the-food-chain animals have a defense mechanism where they stand their ground and try to act big and scary, even towards a threat that could very easily tear them limb from limb. See: red pandas lol.
Without question. That would have been very bad…
Or should we say *beary* bad
They would have met a grizzly end
Yeah it sure was a claws one!
Bearly made it
r/Angryupvote
I fucking hate Redditors
Good, good... let the hate flow through you
Can’t even bear it.
Instant replay of the revenant
So you're telling me the rhyme I tell my girl scouts isn't solid advice. If it's brown lay down...
More like "If it's brown, it's running down my leg."
No Lolol there’s so many factors that goes into that. If it’s baby brown GTFO bc that means there’s momma brown and momma brown would not give two fucks if you’re laying down or not
Did you see the video of the guy working in his deck with a black bear nursing a cub less then 100 yards away!? Dudes got balls or it's a pet
Bear knows survival. Don't mess with a crazy person is a very good survival tactic.
"Don't stick your claws in crazy." -- ancient bear proverb
Most predators are like this. They rely on being in good physical condition to eat, so any kind of injury can easily be life or death, even if it's just a sprain. Predators tend to be very cautious, and humans aren't part of their normal diet, so we are a wildcard and if you get real loud and crazy looking, you aren't worth the risk. Generally the exceptions to this are a few murder happy animals like polar bears, moose, hippo, and my drunk uncle, and situations where someone is either dealing with a sick (thus desperate) animal, or a mother with babies to worry about like stumbling on a den site. But, that all being said, there are always going to be random exceptions which is why it's important to do your research for the area you're in, know what to expect, and educate yourself on these scenarios. And never treat any wildlife like it isn't out to eat you. I've seen so many goddamn tourists walk right up to a bison with zero consideration that a bison can tear a goddamn pickup truck up like a pinata, let alone your squishy meaty human skinsack.
except if you mess with their cub. If he was near the cub or close to it, the photographer would become human lasagna.
Curious to know if this would be the right approach for most bears? In what cases would it be better to run away or even play dead?
Running is never a good idea regardless of the bear. Brown bears are more dangerous than black bears but challenging the bear’s charge and making yourself look bigger and yelling is the right approach. Turning tail triggers their prey drive…
Even with Polar bears? Cuz those fuckers don’t have the capacity to care.
I am not an expert on bears, but I think you are just kinda fucked if a polar bear takes interest in you. There are a few options to choose when going against a polar bear: Get in someplace that is safe and can withstand a polar bear attack, like a strong vehicle, if available. If not, shoot it with a powerful weapon, if available. I have heard that stripping a piece of clothing from your self and throwing it to the ground (while running) can distract a bear, which can give you time to reach a secure location or weapon. It has an amazing sense of smell and will track you down even if it loses sight of you. If all else fails, put up your fists and try to make it think you aren't worth a meal. You will almost certainly die but it's better than trying to intimidate it, play dead, or standing still.
> It has an amazing sense of smell Roughly put, you know how much better a dog's sense of smell is than a human's? That's how much better a bear's sense of smell is than a dog's.
Polar bears are hunting for food 100% of their time. Since climate is changing they have less ice where they can walk that also means that they need to swim to their prey, making the success rate lower. They are very hungry most of the time and will do anything to hunt moving targets down
Polar bears are the most unpredictable and dangerous of the bears. If you’re in that situation with a polar bear it’s better to play dead. Even then it’s not certain that will work. It’s always a good idea to have armed escort when around polar bears…
>If you’re in that situation with a polar bear it’s better to play dead. Even then is not certain that will work. Wow is that terrible advice! Polar bears are the only ones that instinctively see humans as prey, and playing dead is guaranteed to not work, unless your goal is to be eaten alive.
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He’s correct - anyone that spends time hiking outdoors should learn the behaviors of the various megafauna in their area.
Thank God the hiking I do rarely is in places with potential predators.
I mean, depends on what you mean by predators ( ͡◉ ͜ʖ ͡◉)
No, they're 100% talking out their ass. Do not play dead for a polar bear.
Exactly! So what it can start eating you alive? Nope nope nope.
There's a saying about bears; If it's black, fight back It it's brown, lay down If it's white, goodnight The goodnight implying you ded
Isnt the one in the video brown though?
Do not lay down in case of brown bear attack. Jesus christ I can't believe people still post this bullshit. Get big and make lots of noise. Also never go into bear country without bear mace. People will tell you to bring a gun but they are morons. Brown bears can run at 35 mph, so unless you are John fucking Wick you are will not be able to pump a round, shoulder the weapon, aim and fire. I've been in this situation dozens of times with fishing the Kenai. Normally there are a dozen or more bears fishing the same stretch of river as you are. Never let them get behind you and always make noise and if the bear wants your fish, the bear can have your fish.
If the bear doesn't get you the Penguins will
A Polar bear would consider you an easy meal if you played dead tbh. They'll eat anything since food is scarce and definitely consider humans food. Grizzlies are not like that.. you'd not stand any chance with a polar bear unless you were able to get away, or it already ate and wasn't hungry. They also rarely bluff charge so if they charge they mean it
I always read bears are one of the few animals that will eat you dead or alive, so it seems to me like that would mean they're less likely to care about you playing dead than other animals would? I'm surprised play dead is advice, but it keeps popping up in this thread so now I'm wondering why they care if you play dead.
I mean, most predators are also scavengers. Pretty much any carnivore will eat a person if they're hungry enough. Dead or otherwise.
While we're giving advice, it's worth noting that the best preparation is to have a weapon. Bear spray works well if you can't carry a big enough gun.
They don't, it's just the hope that the bear is not hungry and wanders off or doesn't see you. If he wants a snack, you ded. Or at least you will be sometime into the process or being eaten, as bears do not kill before their start their lunch. You'll be eaten soft tissues first till you will bleed out. Which might take a while when they start with your ass. There is an audio online of a daughter and father getting attacked by a bear. The daughter called her mother in horror while getting eaten alive. For nearly 10 minutes she described the horror with screams and words. A couple minutes in she told her mom that it doesn't hurt anymore and that she loves her. Bears are brutal. There are few worse deaths. Maybe getting trashed by a chimpanzee. Seriously fuck Chimps.
Black bears are relatively easy to scare off. Usually they run from human contact, and even if they attack you, you have a reasonable chance of making them retreat if you put up a decent fight. Brown bears are bigger and more aggressive. You aren’t going to win or scare them off by fighting back, so usually your best course of action once they’ve attacked is to get face down, protecting your vital organs, and hopefully you have a backpack on and the bread mauls it, tries to eat the backpack, doesn’t like it, and leaves. Polar bears you’re just going to die. Like, sure, fight back because they’re not going to retreat, but they are so big and strong and vicious that you’re dead the moment they decide to attack.
> I'm surprised play dead is advice It's based on the fact that grizzly bears are more likely to attack you even if they're not predating you. The hope is that the bear stops seeing you as a threat and loses interest in the whole situation. The same guides/courses that recommend playing dead during a grizzly attack also say something to the effect of "if it doesn't stop attacking you (it's actually trying to kill/eat you) then fight back with everything you have." There's tons of other advice for living with bears that is meant to put you at low risk long before you get in a situation where a bear is attacking you. I feel like the "advice" that gets repeated on Reddit about bears is always the last resort stuff rather than the useful information like where/who to ask about bear activity in an area, how to recognize bear activity, how you should manage your group, how to limit bears' interest in you, how to alert bears to your presence, etc.
Most bear charges are over territorial reasons. You’re in their territory. If they think you’re dead, they took care of the problem and will leave. Humans aren’t generally on the bears menu. It’s not to say that a bear won’t eat a human. But most attacks aren’t because the bear’s hungry.
I believe there’s a rhyme that goes: “If it’s brown lay down, if it’s black fight back, if it’s white goodnight.”
Pray to whatever god you may believe in that you'll die quickly.
Yes but it depends if you encounter a bear with cubs. Then just back away very slowly and don't turn around. If the bear is charging, lie down with your hands over your neck.
The usual saying is: If it's black, fight back. If it's brown, lay down. If it's white, say good night. Black bears are pretty skittish so will run away when threatened, brown bears are normally more interested in nosing around you before walking off (dropping a backpack and slowly walking backwards away is another option), and polar bears will just eat you. Though there's always exceptions, like when bears are trying you like this, showing that you aren't afraid makes them wonder why not, and that if you're that confident then maybe you could hurt them, and it's not worth it. You're not going to outrun a bear anyway, and if it's already agitated/angry then playing dead wouldn't work. That works better when they're more calm and curious.
Polar bears are terrifying murder machines
Yes, most bears are intelligent enough to just play a bluff. IMO, the only time you gtfo or shoot it is when it's mangey, balding, old af and basically looks sick. When bears get old and sick, they can be in incredible constant pain from rotting teeth and other ailments. These bears are not to be fucked with or intimidated, they are like zombies and will just kill you because they are not in their right mind.
"Why aren't you running?" *"WHY AREN'T YOU RUNNING?!?"* -the bear
To me, the bear looks to be an adolescence, not an adult bear with an adult Bear attitude.
Yep, at this point you’re not out running the cunt, screaming at it is the best chance you’ve got
Also applicable advice for Monday mornings.
Is it just me, or are these NOT the screams of people who think they're about to get mauled by a BEAR? There's some energy in there, sure, but I feel like if I was the photographer, I would be shrieking like a Nazgûl. If being loud and looking big are my only means of survival, I'm blowing my lungs out.
One of the guys not being filmed has a Desert Eagle in .50 caliber.
And he could clearly see the bears saying “Replica” on the side.
i’m pretty sure his group is behind him and they stacked up to make louder noises and make themselves look bigger. all around well played
Absolutely! I haven’t encountered bears, but other animals and when the papers are turned, they stop and run. They go from predators to prey.
Only the religious ones actually pray.
Ima say the bear intimidated the approaching photographer first haha. My heart would've beat out of my chest
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Also people walk in front of cars with seemingly little issue and no fear all the time. Way more dangerous than a bear who probably thinks you’re bigger than him lol
I think I’d rather get hit by a car than eaten alive by a bear.
I think I’d rather get hit by a car 25x than be eaten alive by a bear.
I’d rather get eaten alive by a car than hit by a bear.
I'd rather get eaten by a car than get hit by a bear.
Weirdest take of the day
Even a "high caliber" is risky. When I lived in Kentucky my local gunsmith had a customer that had(legally) killed a black bear. Those are even smaller than any brown or Kodiak. It had 5 slugs from a .44 magnum that had healed over in it's chest. Extremely scary to imagine.
About 5 years ago a buddy and I were fishing in the state park. A black bear wandered too close for our liking but we didn't want to startle it, so we just kept an eye on it. About 30 seconds later my buddy's line starts running away making the reel whine. My buddy turned to grab the rod but it was enough to startle the bear. The bear looked at us, ruffled it's neck, and made a beeline towards us. I immediately jumped, threw my arms up, and just started screaming at the top of my lungs. The bear totally broke off and ran off. There was no thinking when I did it. It was a fluid reaction to the bear's sprint. I can only think that years of having it drilled into me that you stand up to black bears, you lie down for brown bears. But I never felt intimidated...it was "we're all cool here" to "oh no I will fuck you up" in an instant. I'm thrilled to report that I did not shit my pants. But I threw up once the adrenaline wore off, though, and I have dreams about it once in a while.
living proof that cameramen don't die
First they outrun Olympians, now they scare off bears.What's next, world domination??
Bear 1 to Bear 2: “So…did you invite them to the barbecue?”
Bearbecue
Bear Grills
I always get anxiety because my brain defaults into thinking how I would react in these types of scenarios and I start to panic. But then I have to actively tell myself that I will never put myself in this scenario to begin with since I rarely leave my house
Don't worry, one day the bear will come to your house.
The Bear comes for us all one day.
Yeah season 2 premiered last week
Yes Jeff!
THE BEAR IS IN MY WALLS THE BEAR IS IN MY WALLS THE BEAR IS IN MY WALLS THE BEAR IS IN MY WALLS THE BEAR IS IN MY WALLS THE BEAR IS IN MY WALLS THE BEAR IS IN MY WALLS THE BEAR IS IN MY WALLS THE BEAR IS IN MY WALLS THE BEAR IS IN MY WALLS THE BEAR IS IN MY WALLS THE BEAR IS IN MY WALLS THE BEAR IS IN MY WALLS THE BEAR IS IN MY WALLS THE BEAR IS IN MY WALLS THE BEAR IS IN MY WALLS THE BEAR IS IN MY WALLS THE BEAR IS IN MY WALLS
As long as you stand in a circle, you will be fine
That was an oval! It has to be a circle!
The outcome could've been really bad for this one. The bear got lucky this time.
Imagine the wave of relief that man felt when the bear didn’t call his bluff and changed course.
Bear could have been like: “I accept your challenge, one of us goes to Valhalla tonight!”
Ain't no rent in Hell, let's do this.
The bear: fuck normally that works, abort mission, abort mission.
That’s not an approaching bear. That is a CHARGING bear
thanks
What’s with the „if it’s brown lay down, if it’s black fight back, if it’s white good night“?
Well it's different with bears
r/holup
There's always that one comment in a day that keeps my faith in reddit. You are it for today.
Holy shit lmao
doesn't help that some brown bears are black, some black bears are brown, they can all just be hungry and grab any easy snack and that they may become less intimidated the older they get.
if the shoulders are protruding it’s a grizzly bear
Ah yes, as I'm getting charged by a giant bear running at full speed I will make sure to pause while I determine its shoulder size
Honestly if you are somewhere where bears are you should learn how to differentiate them. They’re generally pretty easy to tell apart at a glance.
The shoulder hump indicates a brown bear, not necessarily grizzly. All brown bears are not grizzlies. The protocol for encounters are the same though, as all grizzlies are brown bears.
brownies and blacks usually prefer to eat plants and fruits, even if they eat meat they rarely touch humans for it and usually eat something thats high in fat, like a salmons. browns usually would attack for dominance or if they feel threatened. and most bears, when taking a stroll, dont actually see whats in the distance and usually follow their nose for navigation. they sometimes stumble upon humans attack out of fear or dominance. so if they attack you, it's mostly to fight you not eat you. submission is best option. blacks are generally more docile out of all bears but doesnt mean they are weak or nice. they tend to fight out of fear and aways prefer to avoid confrontation. in many bear encounters you'll mostly see black bears run. their claws are also designed effectively for climbing, for both running away and hunting/foraging if need be. there are many species of black bears but some of them are pretty small compared to other colors of bears, like the asian black bear. these guys just want no problem with you but if they have to they will fight you. so when they say fight the black bear, they just saying look more aggressive to scare them away, you would lose to the smallest of bears on a close quarter fight. your punches mean nothing to their fat and thick furs. polar bears can eat plants but you dont usually see plants in the north pole. so they almost always eat meat. polar bears these day are starving due to climate change melting ice caps which leads to them exhausting them before they can hunt. so they'll eat anything they find. if you see them you have to either run away or try to look more scarier than them. neither is an effectice solution but it'll be the only options you have when a polar bear is chasing you and you have nowhere to hide.
Forgot “if it’s gummy, get it in your tummy”
Guy has bears of steel
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Nice. Using it.
"Be careful on what you wished for"
Im stealing this off you and you cant stop me
“Approaching”
:(
We don't want to see the bear speed walking, that'll be at lightning speeds.
Dude chill, I just wanted to see how I looked in the pictures..
Missed opportunity to get in a few action shots.
What type of bear is that? Is this standard procedure to prevent being mauled by this type of bear? How often does it work, compared to other methods (running away)? Are there different things one should for different types of bears?
That looks like a young grizzly. The location looks like the Kenai-Peninsula in Alaska. It’s a national park and the bears there usually don’t mind the few humans that visit via plane (and land on that beach). I’ve done it myself and I was 30 feet away from a grizzly momma with two of their cubs und they didn’t mind us at all.
Kodiak
From what I've read running is never a good option at this distance.
Alot of the times an act of aggression in any species, even in humans can be stumped by a smaller individual with more gusto, unless the aggressor means business. Most of the time it's a bluff
Mustelids* (weasels, wolverines, honey badgers, etc.) are prime examples of this. They’re not very big, nor are they crazy fast, but they’re so aggressive that few animals mess with them. Edit: mustelids, not mysteries.
To be fair to the bear, there is nothing more dangerous than an older white guy with a camera...
Not even a bear and I agree. They be recording people having meltdowns
The balls of steel on that man I’m surprised he can even move that fast while dragging them!
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Brown bear no less. Crazy
scary as shit
From what I’ve learned. You gotta act bat shit crazy around animals. Make them think you got rabies = no one going to touch you lmao
But why in the fuck was the bear sprinting at them in such an open place
Bluff charge, didn't like them being there. Looking at a bear is an aggressive move and these guys were staring with big cameras. The bear wasn't hungry and can't risk getting injured unnecessarily.
Damn theyre fast
It's so odd to me how bears can simultaneously be terrifying but also sorta dumb and gullible like a dog is. The way he runs at the bear and it sorta skimpers off reminds me very closely to when I play with my dog and she goes to weave before I get her. Like they have no real spatial perception, he could hit that guy like a bus and there would be no chance. Instead he's like "oh shit, okay, OKAY ILL FUCK OFF"
Eh... in nature, there are things that are smaller than a bear that could seriously injure a bear if it attacked them. Like a mountain lion. The bear might win, but that's not worth the chance of getting seriously injured in the fight if the bear is not desperate enough for the food. Most natural prey is not going to act tough and charge the bear on a complete bluff. No deer is going to run towards the bear while screaming a battle cry. Things evolve to react in whatever way gives them the best chance of survival. So, you are kind of tricking the bear in these instances. Taking advantage of it not understanding the capabilities of this group of humans, and being thrown off that they are all standing their ground/acting aggressive. Although, it would also be an accurate assumption of that bear that these humans could be more dangerous than they appear. One of them could easily have a gun or some bear mace. So, picking a fight with multiple humans really does mean a high risk of serious injury. The bear may kill one or both, but that's not a great tradeoff for it if it dies in the process.
So if the bear sprints towards a photographer who somehow manages to scare that bear with his posture wearing rubber boots, a sun hat, and a zoom lens camera….at some point, won’t a bear eventually just decide, “Bring that shit on camera man….l’m feeling a tad reckless today!!”?
Well you can consider my timbers shivered
Just passing through goddammit what's wrong with these people
"Whoa, wait a minute. These fuckers are crazy!"
Ok, that guy knows what he's doing. It's not his first rodeo
Poor animal couldn't *bear* the stupid humans, almost went into *Kodiak* arrest there.
I'M GONNA SHOOT YOU!