Bear safety tips from 'Bear Whisperer' Steve Searles

With spring in full swing, hikers, campers and other outdoor enthusiasts are likely getting out and heading to local mountains and the Sierra Nevada. Also venturing out are black bears, which at this time of year begin to emerge from their dens for longer periods of time after their winter hibernation, meaning two things -- they're hungry, and many of the sows are with cubs.

With that in mind, Mammoth Lakes wildlife specialist Steve Searles, better known as the "Bear Whisperer," shares the following Q & A safety tips for those visiting and living in bear country:

Question: What should a person do if they see a bear on the trail?
Answer: Don't approach the animal, but don't run away, either. Enjoy the experience. If you don't have any food out, admire the animal from afar with binoculars or the zoom feature on a digital camera.

Q: And if the bear is close?
A: Make yourself look bigger by holding your hands above your head, bang pots together and yell at the animal. If everyone did that I wouldn't have a job. Bears are the best at reading body language and vocalization.

Q: What if there are children present?
A: A lot of the information out there says grab your kids and put them up on your shoulder. But this automatically sets an element of fear in the bear. Instead, keep young ones by your side.

Q: What about dogs?
A: All dogs bark at bears. And all bears run from dogs. If I had a penny for every poodle or Chihuahua that chased a bear I'd be rich. Bears are vegetarians -- they don't make a living on dogs and cats.

Q: Are black bears fairly nonconfrontational?
A: They're predominantly gentle creatures that are genetically programmed to run from humans. People are 350 times more likely to be struck directly on the head by a bolt of lightning than to be attacked by a black bear. It's more dangerous to be walking down a city street than to experience an encounter with one of these animals. In the rare situation when a bear has gone after a human, it’s the equivalent of the Jeffrey Dahmer of the bear world.

Q: If a person returns to their cabin and finds a bear in it, what should they do?
A: Always give the animal plenty of room to escape. Never allow it to feel trapped. If it's in your vacation home, open doors and windows so that it has a way out.

Q: What are the chances of seeing a bear while in the Sierras?
A: If you leave food out, pretty good. California is now home to approximately 30,000 black bears, making the state's 28,000 square miles of mountainous habitat quite crowded. Every square mile is now filled, which makes it difficult to relocate bears.

Q: What’s the best way to prevent bears from coming close?
A: Don’t leave food out. That includes bird food, it’s like meth for bears. People don’t always understand that feeding a bear is essentially like giving it a death sentence, since it trains the bears to eat human food and it will likely need to be killed as a result.

Photo: Bear expert Steve Searles with a sleeping black bear outside Mammoth Lakes. Credit: John Jopson

Comments

[aRemarker]

Also, how many of these dogs that are in the hospital were then eaten by a black bear? hurr durr

[aRemarker]

I think some people need to do a little more research on Mr. Steve Searles. Like the Bear Whisperer doesn't know what black bears eat. Blame yourselves for not understanding or the interviewer for making Steve look like a chump in front of a few internet tough guys. Walter, find something else to do with your life, instead of combing over the net for a tiny mistake. Read some more about Steve so we don't have to deal with your festering stupidity. You Bad Man! Get out of here! Go on! Get! Anyways, Steve Searles is the man. <33333

[Walter W. Matera]

It really gets up my craw whenever I see some "expert" using the word vegetarian to describe an animal. The proper term is herbivore and bears are in no way herbivores. A vegetarian is a human being who has made a choice to only eat plants. Herbivores have no choice in the matter. Please use your editorial discretion when writing and make sure the interviewee knows his vocabulary.

[J V]

I'm a bit concerned about the claim that "Bears are vegetarians". This is factually untrue. I live in Whistler and our black bears eat anything thus making them omnivorous... the bears just north of here actually eat marmots regularly when there's no vegetation and you can see the evidence in their skat along the trails. Grizzlies as we all know constantly eat spawning salmon. So maybe the "Bear Whisperer" should be a bit more specific in his claim. Perhaps the bears HE observes are vegetarians and should be noted a such rather than making a false generalization. Plenty of dogs end up in the pet hospital here because of black bears too so don't think just because you have a dog you're fine. Not all bears run from dogs. Bottom line, keep your distance, make noise when walking in the forest so you don't startle a mother and her cubs, and keep your dog on a leash!
A FED BEAR IS A DEAD BEAR!!!!!

[Jeanne Mower]

Please read this article knowing that the intent and message is "Please Don't Feed Our Bears". Or any wild animal for that matter. @j.r.absher
We are proud of the reputation our community has gained as a town that lives peacefully with our bears whom we love. That is a fact because of the education locals, and visitors alike, have gained from our friend Steve Searles, the "Bear Whisperer".
Jeanne, Mammoth Lakes

[J.R. ABSHER]

He's right--bears "don't make a living on dogs and cats," though they're anything but strict vegetarians. More accurately, they're considered predominately vegetarian (maybe 75 percent so). Bears are omnivorous, often eating carrion, fish and other items besides the staple of berries, grasses, fruits, etc.