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Bears 

      "Sentimentalized, politicized, demonized... bears live out their lives as real bears, quietly unaware of the fog of constructed meanings that surrounds them and, too often, determines their fate in a world they must share with ever-increasing numbers of people." 

                -Kevin Van Tighem Bears Without Fear 

In other words, bears are just bears! Whether you fear them, love them, or want to protect them, they are simply animals looking to survive. 

Our perception of bears, right or wrong, has shaped how we handle our encounters with them. Important research done over the last few decades has provided us with insights into the behaviours and motivations of these  powerful animals and helped us understand how to manage our ever increasing interactions with them. 

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Though there a at least eight known separate species of bear around the world, here we will focus on the two most commonly found throughout North America, the North American Black Bear Ursus americanus and Grizzly Bear (the in-land subspecies of the North American Brown Bear) Ursus arctos horribilis. To learn more about each, click on the links to the side. 

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Below are some of the prevailing bear myths and the real facts behind them! 

Enjoy!

 

Myth 1: Bears can’t run down hill

Bears can run more than 60 kilometers an hour, and they can do it up hills, down hills or along a slope. (3)

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Myth 2: A bear standing on its hind legs is about to charge

Actually, a bear standing on its hind legs is just trying to better identify what has caught its attention. It is much easier to see, hear and smell things from a standing position, than down on all fours. (3)

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Myth 3 : Bears are carnivores.

Although classified in the order carnivora, grizzly and black bears are omnivores meaning they eat both plants and animals. Only a small percentage of their diet consist of meat, the remaining significant proportion is vegetation! (3)

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Myth 4 : Shooting or trans-locating a "problem" bear will solve the problem. 

Removing the bear and not the attractant will simply create room for another bear to move in and further the cycle of conflict and killing. In addition, translocation is often considered an inhumane as the animal often dies within a short time. (2)

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Myth 5: Bears Hibernate

Its true! While bears do sleep through the winter, the term that most accurately describes their dormant state is "torpor". True hibernation includes a very low body temperature and very slow breathing and heart rates. A bear's body temperature drops only a few degrees, their breathing and heart rate decrease marginally. Staying this warm burns a lot of energy, about 5000 calories per day! This is why bears need to get so fat, and why finding food is most important! (3)

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(1) Get Bear Smart Society. "Dispelling Myths About Bears" http://www.bearsmart.com/about-bears/dispelling-myths/ Accessed 16 Aug. 2017.

(2) Internet Centre for Wildlife Damage Management. "Relocating Problem Wild Animals" http://icwdm.org/wildlife/euthanasia/Relocation.aspx             Accessed 16 Aug. 2017.

(3) Gadd, Ben. Handbook of the Rockies 2nd Edition. Corax Press, 2016. 

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