(from MotherNatureNetwork)
How to survive a bear attack
Bears don't want to attack people. We kill them far more often than they kill us, and many bears seem well aware of that ratio. When they do attack, it's usually because they were either starved or startled. But despite their hesitance, bear attacks are on the rise in many parts of the world. Yellowstone National Park saw human-bear conflicts spike in 2008 and 2010 — with experts warning 2011 could be even worse — and officials are grappling with similar problems in Japan, Russia and elsewhere. The ursine violence has been linked to a variety of factors, including habitat loss, human intrusion, food shortages and even climate change. Bear behavior is still heavily influenced by biology and upbringing, too: American black bears are relatively docile and skittish, for example, while polar bears are more aggressive and more likely to see people as prey. Yet trying to fully explain any bear attack is a daunting task, and since we can't convey our peaceful intentions to bears, it's generally safer to just stay away. READ MORE
This post may or may not have been an excuse to post that picture.
