Bear & Cougar Safety Vancouver Island

Vancouver Island is home to black bear and cougar, and while conflict between these animals and humans cannot always be avoided, a healthy respect for their wildness is key to reducing dangerous encounters.

Black bears and cougars will normally avoid humans, and you may not see either while in the wilderness. They, however, may be well aware that you are in their territory.

British Columbia's Ministry of the Environment suggests you follow these tips when out in the wilderness:

* When on a trail, watch for signs of bears, such as droppings, fresh tracks, or their strong scent.

* Be careful near berry patches or the banks of streams where salmon are spawning. Never approach a fresh kill.

* Carry a noisemaker, such as a bell, or a tin can filled with a few pebbles. Attach it to your walking stick or pack. The human voice is one of the most unfamiliar sounds in the wilderness, so talking or singing can be effective. Be extra careful in thick bush.

* Never travel alone through wilderness country. Do not let children straggle far behind or rush ahead.

* Leave your pet at home. The excited barking of a dog can enrage a bear. The dog may retreat to its master - and draw the bear's attack to you. Cougars also find pet dogs easy prey.

* Store food in the trunk of your vehicle, or make a bear-proof cache by suspending the food in a plastic bag at least 10 feet off the ground between two trees.

* Avoid cooking foods that give off a strong odor, such as canned fish. Burn out tin cans and scraps after a meal, or use dried foods. It is best not to wipe your hands on clothes while cooking, and to avoid cooking near your tent.

* In a campground, use garbage disposal facilities. In the backcountry, hikers are required to pack out all garbage. Do not bury garbage. Bears can easily smell it out and dig it up.

* Do not pitch your camp where you find fresh tracks or droppings or along a trail clearly used by animals.

* Be particularly careful in high winds, when an animal may not be able to pick up your scent soon enough to avoid you.

* Female bears with cubs are especially dangerous. Never approach a cub, even if it seems to be alone, and never get between a cub and its mother.

* Evidence indicates that bears are likely to be more aggressive toward those wearing scented cosmetics, hair spray, or deodorant, and women in menstruation.

IF ALL PRECAUTIONS FAIL

If you meet a bear, it will most likely run away. But bears can be unpredictable. Learn to recognize the signs of a bear attack and above all don't panic.

* A bear rearing up on its hind legs is probably taking a more careful sniff to make certain of who you are. The signs of attack are growling, with ears laid back.

* Running or waving of the arms will only provoke a bear.

* If the bear is close, back away slowly, talking as calmly as possible, towards a tree or behind rocks or into a gully. Do not do anything suddenly.

* Should a charge be unavoidable, protect your stomach, thighs and neck by lying down on the ground in a hunched position with knees drawn up to the chest and hands clasped over your neck. The bear may try to maul you but it will do less damage if you can manage to lie still. Usually the bear will retreat immediately after the attack.

* Cougars are rarely seen in the wild, but encounters do happen. If you should come across a cougar, the best way to repel it is to make yourself look as big as possible by waving your arms. If possible, grab a nearby stick and wave it too. Slowly back away. Make noise.

BLACK bears vary in weight up to 600 pounds are up to nearly five feet long. Fur color varies from black to brown to cinnamon or blond. There is often a white patch at the throat. Claws are short and well-adapted for climbing. Black bears eat berries, grass, roots, fish, carrion, and whatever mammals they can catch. They prefer bushy areas but they inhabit almost every type of terrain, from coastal beaches to forests, dry grassland and subalpine meadows. In the forest, they like open spaces where berries can be found and many forms of succulent plants such as clover and grasses. They love salmon, and during spawning season will congregate near fish-bearing waterways. Since grizzly bears do not inhabit Vancouver Island, you need not worry about confrontations with them.

COUGARS are the largest of several wild cats living in British Columbia. Their fur color ranges from reddish-brown to grey-brown, with lighter underparts and no markings. The long tail is a prominent feature. Cougars are rarely seen and attacks on humans are rare. Documented attacks usually show the cougar is injured or starving. It is important not to let small children venture alone into the bush where cougars are known to be present.
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