What to do when you see a bear

By Sophie HardachFeatures correspondent

Bears are returning to the Alps and other regions, raising the risk of bear attacks – but there is decades of evidence of how to keep safe in bear territory.

Brown bears were almost hunted into extinction in the Alps, but in recent years, they have been making a comeback. Two decades ago, the Life Ursus project brought 10 bears from neighbouring Slovenia to Trentino in the Italian Alps to boost the tiny remaining population there. The conservation effort was a success, and the population has grown to around 100 bears in the area. Some have wandered across the Alps into Austria, Germany and Switzerland. (Read BBC Future's report on the bears' return to the Alps).

Sadly, the expanding bear population has at times come into conflict with humans. There have been seven bear attacks on humans in Trentino, as well as damage to livestock and beehives. A female bear with cubs, known as JJ4, killed a jogger in Trentino this year.

For many people living or holidaying in the Alps, the bears' resurgence poses an entirely new question: what should you do if you come across a bear?

Don't poke the bear

Research from around the world suggests that co-existing with large predators always comes with some risks.

"Data tell us that in all areas where bears and people co-exist the risk of attacks exists, so we need to take this topic seriously," says Giulia Bombieri, a specialist in human-wildlife conflict at Muse, the Science Museum of Trento in Italy.

In a 2019 study, Bombieri and her colleagues analysed more than 600 brown bear attacks around the world. They found that the attacks tended to be defensive: the bear was startled in a surprise encounter, and then attacked. A wider 2023 analysis of attacks by all large carnivores showed a similar pattern of largely defensive attacks by bear species (including American black bears, Asiatic black bears, brown bears, sloth bears and polar bears). Such insights into bear behaviour can be crucial when it comes to preventing conflicts, she and other experts say.

"Bears are by their nature large predators, but they don't particularly prey on humans," says Tom Smith, a professor of wildlife sciences at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. "It's usually because we surprise them that we set off these attacks."

Smith has spent 31 years conducting field work among bears. He says he has had "hundreds if not thousands of bear encounters". One of his main recommendations is to make sure the bear can hear you approaching. "If you telegraph your presence, and thereby avoid surprising them, they usually obligingly get out of the way, from this incoming potential interaction," he says. "Making our presence known is the single most important thing we can do."

This advice applies to all three north American bear species, says Smith: black bear, brown bear including grizzlies, and polar bear. "As it turns out they (all three bear species) rarely prey on people. Most conflicts are surprise encounters."

Raising your voice as you talk and clapping your hands are the most effective ways of alerting bears, Smith says. However, he says "bear bells", which ring as you walk, may not be loud enough to get the bear's attention. 

In 2018, Smith and a colleague analysed 682 human-bear conflicts in Alaska. They found that hiking in groups and making noise both made a confrontation less likely. Conflict was more likely when there was poor visibility, perhaps because the bears did not notice people until they were very close.

It's also worth thinking about bears' daily rhythm, says Michaela Skuban, a wildlife biologist in Tyrol, Austria, who previously spent 16 years researching bears in Slovakia. Bears tend to be active at night, going to sleep early in the morning around 6am or 7am. "Unfortunately, that's often the time when people want to go for a run before work," she says. "It's also the ideal time if you really want to see a bear. So a really important tip is to instead go into the forest during the day, and avoid thick undergrowth, and then the risk of an encounter is very small."

Like Smith, Skuban recommends talking as you walk. However, she cautions against sudden, shrill noises that might startle bears. On one occasion in Slovakia, a mobile phone ring tone set off an attack.

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If you do come across a bear, the best strategy is to "group together, reverse your direction, move away from the animal", says Smith. "Don't stop and stand." The bear may have cubs, or a precious food supply hidden in the vicinity, so could feel threatened even if you mean no harm.

If the bear starts to track the group and gets close, Smith recommends using anti-bear pepper spray. His research has shown it to be effective in 98% of close encounters between humans and bears, provided it is kept within easy reach. However, this advice only works in some countries: in most of Europe, bear spray is illegal.

There are also some activities that are inherently more risky.

Running, biking, climbing?

Some popular mountain sports may increase the risk of a dangerous bear encounter, says Smith. That’s because the main challenge is to avoid surprising the bears. "Running is a problem. Mountain biking is a problem," he says. "Why? Because it's typically solo participants, and they're fairly quiet, they're moving fast, and both bears and people use these trails."

In contrast, climbing may not be as risky. "Rock climbers like anyone else simply need to pay attention, hike near one another, carry deterrents [such as anti-bear pepper spray, where that is legal], and make noise when navigating to and from their climbing walls," he suggests. "When involved in climbing, bears would not be a threat, of course. I've not got a single incident of a climber getting into trouble, so that should be comforting."

Skuban highlights a surprisingly risky activity: mushroom picking. Cool, damp spots are ideal for mushrooms, she says, but they are also popular with napping bears. "Usually, the bear will run away if he sees you, but there might be cases where he'll whack you because he's startled." She also warns against seeking out bears with cubs to take pictures.

For Bombieri, who lives and works in Trentino, the most important step is to be willing to adapt. "The first lesson we should learn is that we can't do whatever we want when in a bear area," she says. "And this is probably the hardest lesson to learn."

This article is for information only. When venturing into "bear country", always check with local authorities for the most locally relevant information.

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